A Prince to remember
by RenZombie
Summary: Elissa Cousland has no memory before her thirteenth birthday except for the image of a young boy whose name she can't recall. Now with the impending war and the threat of Darkspawn, can she cope with the weight that is forced onto her shoulders as well as get her memory back and put a supposedly dead king onto the thrown? AU Cailan lives and joins the merry band of misfits of DA:O.
1. Family is forever

Gentle hands, soft hair and kind yet piercing eyes; these are probably my earliest memories. Not a memory of my first word or even when I first picked up a sword, but instead a clear remembrance of a boy gently stroking my hair and whispering sweet reassurances into my ear; after that every things a bit fuzzy. A heavy sigh left my lips as a pain started to spread in my head, casually I rubbed my hand across my forehead, an attempt at soothing the ache.

This always happened as I thought too hard about my childhood; I'd lost all my memories when I was thirteen years of age, and though it wasn't an important matter, it bothered me. I don't know what caused it but it must've been pretty traumatic; when I ask Mother or Father, they brush the topic aside, even Fergus won't tell me anything.

"Ah, there you are Pup!" My father's cheerful voice rang from the fireplace in the great hall, immediately drawing me from my train of thought. Whilst smiling at my father, I walked from the door I had arrived through and went to stand by the blazing fire. It wasn't until I moved nearer that I saw the small, slightly huddled figure of another. I automatically felt a shiver run down my spine.

"Howe, you remember my daughter Elissa?"

"Ah yes. I see she's grown into a beautiful young woman," The old Arl smiled, but the action itself became twisted and turned into a sneer. I forced myself to repeat the action, although mine came across as genuine and almost friendly.

"Thank you Arl Howe. It's good to see you; I trust your family is well?"

The sneer seemed to grow larger and his eyes narrowed into slits so small, it looked as if he had closed his eyes.

"Yes they are thank you. Delilah has been wondering whether the two of you will be attending this year's Denerim festival, I believe she's very keen to try out the latest Antivan fashions."

I grimaced at the thought and hoped it wasn't too noticeable. Even though Delilah Howe was one of my close friends, she was like any other noble woman who was either obsessed on finding a rich husband with a suitable title, or to buy the most expensive shoes and clothes money could buy. The very idea of being strapped into one those Orlesian corsets made my chest tighten; I preferred my armour any day.

"Yes I would very much enjoy that. Please tell Delilah I will make the arrangements personally."

The older man bowed slightly and turned back to speak with my father, however I could have sworn his eyes seemed to darken.

After talking with the Grey Warden Duncan, Father requested I find Fergus. When my search eventually led me to our small family Chantry and I almost collapsed onto one of the pews. I sat down and scrubbed my hands over my face. Howe's men were delayed and just not by a few days, but by almost a week. Fergus was to set out with some of Father's troops at dawn, while Father was to stay here and wait with Howe for reinforcements and I was to stay here alone and not to be out on the battlefield. The knot that had formed not so long ago in my chest tightened, but I couldn't determine the cause.

"I thought I'd find you in here," a familiar voice drifted from behind me. I turned to see the very man I was looking for standing in the doorway, his boyish grin spread across his face. He was already in his armour and I noted it was the set I had bought him for his twenty-seventh birthday. Unfolding his armoured arms from his chest, he came and sat next to me on the patterned carved bench. He watched me curiously then raised his middle finger and prodded the middle of my two gathered eyebrows. "You know that's not a very good look for you," he joked. "Dad told me that you were looking for me." My only response was a slight nod of the head and my gaze drifted to my gloved hands. "Liss, what's wrong?" he asked, his voice suddenly turned from light to a more serious tone. I looked up to see his mouth was no longer the grin he had as he walked through the door, but a hard, thin, straight line. At first I didn't say anything and tried to put my feeling into words.

"Do you and Father really have to go?"My voice was small and weak when I answered and I felt like a child to weak for her family. Fergus let out a low chuckle.

"What's this? My brave little sister is actually worried about me? Well I'm very touched." I could hear the smile in his voice as well as his mocking tone; he was trying to lighten the mood, I could tell, but it didn't help with this feeling in my chest. "Liss you know we have to. If this is truly a Blight, the King is going to need an army. If we want to see Ferleden through this, we need to fight."

"That's not what I meant," I sighed. "Fergus something doesn't feel right. Howe's men have been delayed for too long and there's a Grey Warden, something isn't right I can..." Fergus laughing interrupted what I was about to say, causing my eyebrows to knit together once more and stare at him in confusion. "What's so funny?" I asked almost irritably.

"I know what you mean, about the uneasy part, but ever thought that maybe it was due to the atmosphere lately? I mean Dad's been on edge with all the lands meetings and all, maybe we're just sensing it too?" I considered for a moment or two and processed what he had just said; he could annoyingly wise when he wanted to be.

"I suppose you're right, it's probably just my nerve," I mumbled as he slid an arm around my shoulders and hugged me close. It was then reader, I realised this could be the very last time I held my Brother, the last time I'd ever hear his stupid jokes or even see his boyish grin and with this possibility, my heart stopped.

"Liss when I leave tomorrow, look after Oraina and Oren. Mother will be in Denerim with Lady Landra, so you must promise me," he asked, his voice solemn.

"Yes Brother," I whispered and nodded in response.

"Good now I will make a promise of my own," he started. "I will come back. No matter what I face, I will come back for all of you, this you have my word."

After hearing these words, I felt a glimmer of hope in the horizon and a weight being lifted from my chest. Fergus really was the best brother in the whole of Thedas.

_**Okay guys so that's the first chapter done! yay! reviews are my friends, so drop me one by clicking the review button and let me know what you think. I do not own Dragon Age, bioware does I am just their puppet.**_

_**Chapter 2 soon...**_

_**Ren **_


	2. Welcome to Ostagar

_**Cailan**_

"Your Highness, Teryn Loghain is searching for you sir," One of the guards said from the entrance of my tent. I looked up at the man from the various amounts of maps and documents below me on the table. No doubt Loghain was storming around camp to find me so he could revise his latest strategy of the final battle; even so I was getting a migraine.

"Yes thank you Wendell. If he comes by show him through please," I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose with my fore-finger and thumb.

"Of course your Majesty," Wendell nodded and swiftly left the tent. Looking back down to the table I tried to concentrate on the document in front of me, but gave up altogether and picked up the goblet next to me and brought it to my lips; the cool water tasted crisp and I immediately felt refreshed. There was one simple but crucial problem which was so blatantly obvious; there weren't enough men. Eamon's men still hadn't arrived neither did Arl Howe's and only half of Bryce Cousland's troops had arrived early two mornings ago with Fergus Cousland leading. I smiled to myself, as I thought back to our reunion. It had been exactly a year since our last meeting and to actually see him, even in all this chaos and war it was a welcome surprise.

When I was a young boy, my father and would reside at Castle Cousland with The Teryn and his family, every summer. During this time myself, Fergus and Elissa Cousland bonded; they were like my second family. Thinking back to when we attended Highever parties, hunting in the forest or swimming in the lake, caused a smile to appear; they were and forever will be my most treasured memories.

"Cailan," a stern voice came from the entrance of my tent. Even by not looking up at his features, I could already imagine the mask of a frown on his face; he was not in a good mood.

"Loghain," I responded, my tone friendlier than his. Looking up from the various amounts of documents in front me for second time, I found my assumption was indeed correct. "I heard you were searching camp for me. Anything I can do?"

The old Teryn frowned even more, causing the creases on his forehead to deepen.

"Yes I was," He replied simply. "Cailan we must discuss and rethink our strategy. The battle will not wait forever and we must take action." I nodded at his evaluation in agreement.

"Of course and I agree whole heartedly, however Duncan has still not arrived with his new recruit, and until then we wait."

Loghain's large armour clad arms folded across his chest as he let out heavy sigh; a clear sign of disapproval.

"Why do you put all your trust in these Grey Wardens? Do you not remember how they rebelled against King Arland?"

This time it was my turn to sigh as I ran a hand through my hair.

"Of course I remember Loghain you never let me forget, however that hundreds of years ago we need to move on. The Grey Wardens are heroes of legends only they can defeat the Arch-demon and they have shown their loyalty when they helped my father in the deep roads. I have also known Duncan since I was a small child, so yes I do trust them."

"Even if that may be true, we do not know if this is a true Blight or not. All I say is you need to stop thinking of story that will be sand by the bards and think of the future of your kingdom. Just be cautious on who you trust."

I nodded my head once, contemplating on what he'd just said.

"And I agree," I said after some time.

A long silence descended between us and I took the moment to look at the old Hero of River Dane. His long hair, which was once as dark as the night sky, was now showing signs of old age. Even in his bulky silver rite armour he stood tall and proud, with his great long sword strapped firmly onto his back; he was the very definition of a hero. When I was child I would hear the adventures my father, mother and Loghain had accomplished in their younger years alongside the Grey Wardens and yearned to be just like them.

Loghain cleared his throat, automatically breaking my train of thought and the tense atmosphere.

"I received a letter this morning, from Anora," his voice softened by mentioning his daughter.

My gaze returned back to the documents in front of me, breaking eye contact with him.

"I see. She is well I hope," I asked and noticed my voice sounded flat and not very concerned.

"Yes she is, she also wishes you a great battle and sends her love."

A chuckle rose my throat, and out the corner of eye I could just about make out Loghain's dark brows shoot up. If Anora was to send her love, she must be thinking all hope is lost. The woman had a heart of ice, her very soul dark with greed and power; she had many titles some were, but the worst two of them all were wife and Queen.

"Your Majesty, Lord Loghain," Wendell bowed at myself and Loghain as he appeared from behind my tent flap. "I've just received word from a messenger that some soldiers have spotted The Warden Commander Duncan is approaching camp ser; he seems to have company."

I felt my face immediately light up at both the news and also for an excuse to leave Loghain. I felt like I needed some fresh air.

"Excellent! I shall see him personally." I clasped my hands together and turned to Loghain "If you don't mind General, we will continue this conversation some other time." I said as I shuffled some documents into a neat arrangement and made my way out of the tent, when suddenly Loghain caught me by my arm.

"Cailan, think about what I said," I was about to protest but there was something sincere in his eyes made my expression soften.

"I will," I smiled gently and left.

_**Duncan**_

She had collapsed when we first caught sight of camp; and I couldn't blame her. Arl Howe had shown his true colours and betrayed her family. All Couslands lay dead in a pool of their own blood as well as everyone else in the castle at the time; all except her and her brother Fergus. I looked down to the sleeping woman in my arms, her head rested on my chest with her dark hair tangled and knotted, curtained her face. Her armour covered in blood and grime from the past couple of days and her gauntlet covered hands clutching at the family sword her parents had given her just before the early death. A constant worry would come to mind which was soon to be proven; how was the king going to react? It was to my knowledge that Cailan would spend most his summers, when he was a child till a teenager, at castle Cousland with his father. During this time he became close to both the teryns children; Elissa Cousland especially. The then young prince and the teryns daughter were inseparable and the idea of marriage came to mind. However during on summer when Cailan had reached his 15th years of age and Elissa 13, something terrible wrong happened which caused the death of a young farmer boy. Maric never told me the full details, but what I could gather caused Elissa to lose her memories. Cailan was sent back to the palace in Denerim immediately and the two had never seen each other since.

A high pitched whine came from behind and I looked down to see Elissa's Mabari Eros, watching her sleeping form with an anxious expression.

"Your mistress is fine," I said tenderly. "She's just exhausted, that's all."

Eros whined again before his ears pricked up and turned to face the path a head. Following his line of sight, I saw the blinding gleam of the kings golden armour approaching us, accompanied by two royal guards.

"Duncan! You certainly took your time," The kind beamed until he took a glance at my sleeping companion and frowned. "Are you two alright?"

"Your majesty," I bowed my head, as it was awkward with Elissa in my arms to address him properly. "Yes I am thank you; however my companion here is just exhausted from the travelling." Again Cailan glanced at Elissa and it then the thought dawned on me; he didn't recognise her.

It was true that over the seven years that had past, Elissa Cousland had changed dramatically from the tomboy young girl with pigtails, to a more sophisticated graceful young woman. When her father introduced us I could scarcely believe how much she had changed from our previous meeting when she was only 10 years old.

"Of course, I trust your journey was tiring." Cailan said after some time. " I trust this is the new recruit is it not?"

"It is your Highness."

Cailan once again nodded all the while keeping a smile on his young face and I wondered if he'd figured out her identity.

"Duncan if you follow me, your companion may sleep in my tent until you have her sleeping arrangements made."

"Your majesty, I ..." Cailan rose his hand in front of me to stop.

"I insist Duncan," he smiled. " And please call me Cailan, we will be shedding blood together after all."

He didn't know was my conclusion after some thought. Cailan had always worn his heart on his sleeve, if he really knew this was his beloved Elissa Cousland he would not just stand here smiling and act calmly.

"Of course, thank you Cailan," I said as I bowed my head slightly once more.

We made our way through the crumbling ruins of Ostagar, with Eros tailing us closely from behind. Weathered statues of the Makers beloved, the prophet Andraste stood tall and proud on crumbling mounts. Solider sparred as mages practised their magic, with templars guarding them closely. Camp was separated into two sides; the one Loghain's men, the other Cailan's. We reached Cailan's tent, which with its bright yellow and red exterior contrated greatly with Loghain dark green and blue.

"So tell me about this recruit then Duncan," Cailan inquired as we made our way through the tent entrance; his guards stood watch outside. "You certainly gave us a scare when you didn't arrive when you said you'd be."

Gently I place Elissa on the king's cot and after some time, removed her sword and placed it next to her, then finally covered her with a blanket, which she gladly took and nestled into.

"Yes and I apologise for the delay. There were some...complications."I said a I straightened up. Cailan had chosen two goblets off his cabinet and began to pour some wine in both of them.

"Well she must be very talented to have caught your eye. Can she fight well?"

Cailan offered me one of the goblets, which I took humbly, whilst he drank from the other.

I stared at him intently, calculating his reaction.

"Of course, she's a Cousland after all."

_**Little bit of suspense there guys. Chapter 3 soon. Remember Reviews are my friends! Dragon Age belongs to Bioware.**_

_**Ren**_


	3. Well fancy meeting you here

**Thank you all for The subscriptions! And also thank you Integra Hawke for pointing somethings out for me, much appreicated ;) so here you go folk chapter 3.**

**REN **

* * *

><p><span>Cailan<span>

My heart stopped mid-beat in my chest, as the words left Duncan's mouth.

A Cousland? This woman was a Cousland. But that could only mean...

I looked at Duncan with a questionable eye, and then peered over his shoulder at the sleeping form on my bed. I slowly made my way towards her, my heart thumping so loud in my chest; I could have sworn I could hear my armour rattling.

I knelt beside the cot and stared at her for a moment.

Surely this couldn't be Elissa? The very girl I'd spent countless summers with that she had become a piece of me; the second half of my soul. The very Elissa who had brought me nothing but grief and torment over not seeing her these past seven years, in both the fade and this cruel world?

Tentatively whilst reaching a shaky hand, I brushed the dark locks that fell over her face, to reveal her features; after doing so, a small strangled cry rose from my throat.

It really was Elissa.

Her once light red hair was now a much darker auburn colour, which fell into tumbles that framed her face, yet her skin was still as pale as ivory and there was a light scatter of freckles across her nose.

She really was here.

I rose from my crouching position and turned to face Duncan. So may questions pondered in my head; what was she doing here? Why did she not travel with Fergus?

I straightened my back and gave the Warden-Commander a hard stare.

"Why did you bring her here?" I demanded, my voice rising with sudden anger.

Duncan placed both hands behind his back, his face perfectly blank with any emotion.

"She is an excellent fighter with both a sword and bow; also she has a strong will and shown great acts of courage. She will make an acceptable warden."

"A warden? You mean to tell me you brought her all the way from Highever to make her a Warden?" I spat, my hands shaking with temper. It was to my knowledge that being a Grey Warden was a dangerous job, and the joining itself was sometimes fatal; I'd only just found her again and I didn't want her to slip through my fingers once more.

"No it wasn't my initial my plan, however like I said we came across some...complications."

My eyebrows gathered and I ran a hand through my hair as I tried to grasp the current situation.

"Complications? What complications?"

Duncan's expression softened as his eyes locked with mine.

"The Teryn and his wife are dead, your majesty, as is everyone else in castle Cousland at the hands of Arl Howe. If we had remained there, we too would have shared that fate."

I couldn't grasp the current situation. Bryce and Eleanor Cousland murdered by Rendon Howe? I felt a chill run down my spine at the thought. The Howe's were the Couslands must trusted friends, what had caused someone to do this?

A whine from behind me made me turn and direct my attention back to Elissa; a dark grey Mabari sat beside her and watched her intently with a worried expression. Cautiously I knelt back down next to the cot, all the time keeping alert of the huge dog, which now cocked his to one side as he watched me curiously.

Elissa let out a slight whimper, I leant down closer to hear her say to simple words as a tear rolled down her chalky cheeks; those words were simply "Mother" and " Father."

Tenderly I reached out once more and brushed the tear away, gently with the tips of my fingers.

"Once this Blight is over, I promise you that Highever will be returned to you," I murmured as I watched her take short even breaths and her chest slowly rose and fall. After a few more seconds, once more I rose and turned to leave.

"Come Duncan, we have to find Loghain."

Elissa 

My eyelids felt heavy as I woke up, with a strange dull throbbing located at the back of my head. I sat up on what seemed to be a cot and looked around the unfamiliar scenery. Where was I and how did I get here?

I looked down to see I was fully clothed in my armour, which was covered in blood and grime, and my family sword resting beside me. Floods of memories came rushing back so quickly it was almost too much to bear. Only one thing was certain; Mother and Father were both dead. How could of this happened? Why did this happen? There had to a reasonable explanation.

Eros whined beside me as he rested his chin by my hand on the cot. Suddenly I felt something warm run down my cheek and it wasn't until my hand touched my face I realised that it was a single tear. Eros whined again.

"I'm okay," I sniffed as I rubbed my hands over my face, clearing any traces of crying. "It's okay, we'll sort this." I scratched the top of his head affectionately.

After a couple of minutes I eventually rose from the bed and made my way towards the entrance of the tent; gingerly I poked my head around the tent flap. Immediately I was greeted by the sight of two guards, each standing straight and tall with their hands tucked neatly behind their backs. One of the guards must have noticed me, because he turned slightly towards me and bowed slightly.

"Good evening milady, I trust you slept well?" The guard smiled.

I returned the gesture.

"Yes thank. Tell me whose tent is this?" The accommodations were far too grand for a Grey Warden or even a Warden Commander.

"This is where his majesty King Cailan Theirin resides milady; He and The Warden Commander Duncan, thought it wise for you to sleep here whilst the other wardens organise your sleeping arrangements."

I felt a blush spread across my cheeks and my mouth dropped open with astonishment. I was sleeping in the king's tent?

I had never met the young King of Ferelden, but after listening to rumours around Highever, you could recognise that he was the legendary King Maric's son; He was brave and always thought of his people and also very popular with the young maiden's across the land. The curious look the guard was giving me, brought me out my thoughts.

"Could you please tell me where I may find the warden camp? It seems I am in need of some supplies," I asked. It was the best excuse to get out of the kings tent; it wasn't that I wasn't grateful, just slightly uncomfortable to be in a strange mans bed, king or not.

"Of course," the guard nodded as he transferred his shield from his right arm to his left, and pointed in the direction to his right. "See that bonfire that I understand is where the wardens reside. If you are in need of some supplies, head east and you will find the quarter master."

I nodded and smiled at the guard's kindness, all the while strapping my family's sword securely onto my back alongside another dagger I had brought with me.

I patted Eros on the head and thanked the guard for his help, and told him to thank the king for me, if I could not myself. I made my way towards the bonfire the guard had spoke of, only to discover it deserted, so instead I ventured onwards in search of the quarter master.

As I continued west, I found myself admiring the ruins of Ostagar. Tall, proud statues stood mostly intact, with their marble eyes watching over you. The pillars and arches chiselled to perfection alongside the complicated stone floor; it had indeed to been a magnificent fortress.

If only there was no war and my family were still alive, they would have loved this place. I could imagine it now, Father, Fergus and Oren playing while Eros barked excitedly, Mother and Oriana talking merrily of the latest fashion and occasionally warning the boys to 'be careful.' It indeed was a happy thought; however it brought a sharp pain to my heart. They were gone and all thanks to Howe. My jaw clenched and my fists turned into balls at my side as I thought of the very existence of the man known as Rendon Howe. I took a deep breath and exhaled through my nose, trying to calm my anger. There was no point on getting angry here; surely enough I would get my family's revenge, but there was a more appropriate place for that, like for example, Howe's throat at the end of the Cousland family sword. However at this moment I needed to channel that anger to help me fight against the darkspawn.

"What is it now?" a sharp voice demanded near my right hand side, making me almost jump in the process. At first I thought that the person was addressing me, but as I turned to face the source, it clear he wasn't.

There were two men stood in the centre of a ruin. The first man was clearly the oldest, deep wrinkles set on his dark skin, which seemed to be even darker due to his bright clothing he wore, alongside with a tall staff strapped onto his back; he was clearly a mage. The second man however was the complete opposite. He looked about the same age I did, however clearly a warrior due to his bulky splintmail armour and long sword and shield. His blonde hair shone in the sunlight, which poured from behind a crumbling pillar; he was clearly handsome.

"I have a message for you ser mage, from the Revered Mother; she desires your presence," the solider replied almost in a nervous way.

Without realising, I'd seemed to have made myself lent against the wall next to me, and watched the scene before me; also I glanced around me for any sign of Eros, who had seemed to have disappeared.

"This is clearly harassment!" exclaimed the mage as he threw his hands into the air, in an irritable fashion.

""Yes, because I was clearly harassing you, by sending a message," I tried to stifle a giggle at the sound of the warrior's were dripping with sarcasm. I peered round the wall to see the mage's face twisted with anger will the warrior's had a hint of amusement. The mage then said something I couldn't make out, while the warrior replied, "And here I thought we were getting along so well. I was even going to name one of my children after you; the grumpy one!" He folded his arms over his armoured chest and stared down at the older man; a smug grin present on his features.

"Enough! I will speak to the woman if I must. Get out of the way fool!" And with that the mage pushed past the soldier and hurried off towards the main camp whilst cursing under his breath.

The warrior watched the mage storm off, before he spotted me leaning casually watching him with an amused grin; before I knew it, he was strolling casually towards me.

"You know, the one good thing with the Blight is how it brings people together," he smiled. Looking closer at his face it was clearly obvious he was even more handsome then he was at a distance; I also immediately picked up his sarcasm.

"I know exactly what you mean," I replied, matching his sarcastic tone. His smile widened with approval.

"It's like a party, we could all sit around and drink tea, whilst chatting merrily," suddenly his smile vanished and gazed at me curiously. "Wait your not another mage are?"

I laughed at his question.

"Of course, because nearly every mage I know wears armour and has two swords strapped to their back," I smirked as he muttered "Oh yeah, no staff."

I extended an armour clad hand out towards him and stared at it for a moment.

"My names Elissa, it' a pleasure to meet you," I smiled.

Again he glanced at my hand and I could have sworn that was a hint of a blush that graced his cheeks before his large hand clasped around my small one and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"Alistair," he replied and smiled once more.

"Well then Alistair," I started once we released hands. "It seems I have lost my way around camp and could you be so kind to possibly show me where the quarter master is?" Alistair laughed and I couldn't help but widen my smile at the sound of it; it was good to hear someone laugh.

"Of course, I would be delighted to help a pretty girl," he winked as he smiled charmingly. Okay so it was my turn to blush, as I laughed and followed his lead.

Maybe things would turn out for the better.


	4. Meeting A Thief and Royalty

**Hey guys! Sorry I haven't updated for so long, I've had to study for my exams and had to put this story on hold for a moment :( However I have written four new chapters in my notebook so I'm typing them up as we speak :) Also a huge thanks to all those guys who've added this story to their favourites and for the favourite author! It really made my day! Also Thank you to RoroMushMonster and SnowHelm for the comments! So without further to do I give you Chapter 4, enjoy! **

DUNCAN

The king was anxious, it was obvious. The battle was to happen any day and the number of men was below than originally planned, due to the fact Arl Howe's, Arl Eamon's and half of Teryn Couslands men hadn't arrived. Cailan's obsession with glory was clouding his mind, taking over his decisions; even though the boy meant well he was going to lead Ferelden into ruin and the fact that Elissa was also in camp didn't help either. It was evident that Cailan wanted to stay with her until she awoke from her slumber, the way he acted was so tender and gentle it showed his love for the girl, even after all these years; the only worry was what her reaction would be when she sees him. However the young King would have to wait till nightfall; he was still in his meeting with Teryn Loghain and by the amount of arguing, something told me it was going to take a while.

I stood at the bonfire and watched as the flames danced alluringly against the darkening sky. Suddenly a loud bark from behind me caught my attention, causing me to turn to identify the source of which it was coming from.

Eros came bounding towards me, whilst in the distance the two figures of Elissa and Alistair talking to each other, trailed closely behind. Immediately I noted that Elissa seemed to have a slightly more cheerful expression compared to the one she had whilst on our travels from Highever. I bent down slightly and scratched Eros behind one of his ears, his large slobbering tongue lolled to one side as his stumpy thumped against the earth happily.

"I see you've found Alistair," I said as they closed the distance between us. Elissa smiled and looked up at Alistair with a toothy grin.

"Yes, I understand he will help the other recruits and myself with the joining," she said.

I nodded and folded my arms over my chest.

"Yes and also insult more mages as well," I said firmly, yet laced with slight humour. Alistair's attention directed from Elissa to me, his eyes widened and his cheeks tinted with embarrassment.

"Ah yes, well about that, the Revered Mother ambushed me. The way she yields guilt they should put her in the army," He said.

"She forced you to sass the mage did she?" I raised an eyebrow. "We cannot afford to antagonize anyone Alistair. We don't need to give anyone more ammunition against us."

Alistair's gaze lowered to the floor and I swore that he was pouting.

"I apologise Duncan," he mumbled.

"In all fairness Duncan," Elissa started, both Alistair and myself turned to face her. "The mage did start it after all and Alistair was only delivering a message," her sapphire eyes shone with determination and I couldn't help but look into those eyes and cross my arms. "Yes, but needless to say Elissa, the Wardens aren't as trusted since the Orlesians occupied Ferelden and we need to keep to ourselves and make peace with everyone, especially since we have a Blight on our hands," I replied simply. Elissa directed her gaze to the dusty ground as she gave one nod of her head.  
>"Of course Duncan, I apologize for speaking out of term."<br>I shook my head as a small chuckle escaped my lips.  
>"No, prefer you to speak your mind. It's better than a mindless zombie for a soldier."<p>

She looked up and a small smile graced the corners of her mouth. I glanced over towards Alistair; he too had a large toothy grin plastered on his face, as stared over at Elissa's profile. I raised an eyebrow and smirked, as at that moment a ferocious blush tinted his cheeks as he caught me watching.  
>"Is there anything to discuss or may I please explore the ruins some more, I only made it to the Quartermaster before I ran into Alistair," she asked as she glanced at Alistair from the corner of her eye. As I had no problem to this and also needed to discuss preparations for the Joining with Alistair, I happily agreed and suggested she also find the two other recruits, Ser Jory and Daveth who were loitering somewhere around camp.<br>She turned to leave and Alistair turned to admire her figure. The boy was clearly smitten with the young Cousland girl and I didn't know whether to be pleased that Alistair had finally found someone he had took an interest in or worried due to the fact that she was to be a his sister in arms and that she was also the King's childhood sweetheart. Even though Cailan was married to Anora Mac Tir, it was a loveless marriage; a political marriage organized between Anora's father, General Loghain and Cailan's uncle Arl Eamon, when the idea that Elissa couldn't take the role as Queen and Wife due to her loss of memory. After seven years it was clear how deeply Cailan still cared for Elissa. But now she'd just suddenly waltzed back into his life again and I doubted that Cailan would lose her a second time. After a few minutes with Alistair still staring after Elissa, I cleared my throat. He jumped and immediately focused his attention to my presence.  
>"Alistair we must speak about the Joining," I informed him, my voice firm. Alistair's joking and carefree expression vanished as a more serious demeanour took over.<br>"Of course Duncan," He replied solemnly as he straightened his back. I debated for a moment whether to inform him of my recent concern in the safety of my tent, but then figured that no one really cared about Warden business anyway and I enjoyed the warmth that radiated from the bonfire behind me.  
>"Alistair, it has come to my attention that some important documents are missing from the Warden collections, these documents are essential for helping us putting an end to the Blight," I began, placing my hands behind my back.<br>"Of course but I don't see how this involves with the Joining," Alistair stated, his mouth turning stern.  
>"This is where the recruits get involved," I started and hoped he wouldn't get put off at the suggestion I was about to make. "I want you and the three recruits to venture out into the Kocari Wilds; there you will find a ruin of a base The Grey Wardens once stationed at during the second Blight. The ruins contain a chest, which hold the documents we need. Also as you may already know the wilds home Darkspawn, I will give you three vials that you must fill with their blood; again this is essential to the Joining." I gave him a moment to process the information.<br>"What if the documents have been removed?" Alistair asked.  
>"The casket should still have a protective seal a mage place on it after the Wardens were banished, hopefully it's still there." Alistair frowned deeply but nodded his head in agreement.<br>"I understand Duncan, when do we set off?"  
>"Tomorrow afternoon if possible, I have a meeting with the King and General Loghain in the morning," I replied and groaned inwardly as I thought about the hours I would have to spend listening to Loghain and Cailan arguing.<br>A silence descended between us as Alistair focused on the flickering flames over my shoulder, the tell tale crease of his brow indicated he was deep in thought.  
>"Alistair," I began, bringing him out of his daze. "There is also one more thing I must ask of you." A flicker of worry shone through Alistair's amber eyes and the crease in his brow deepened.<br>"Of course, what is it?"  
>I debated for a moment and tried to put my thoughts into words.<br>"Out of all the recruits, please keep a close on eye on Elissa. The journey from Highever to here has been rough and she still has some things to process," I explained trying to stress my concern, but not reveal what had happened that night at Cousland castle. During the trek to Ostagar, Elissa and I had come to a mutual agreement to keep her lineage a secret. It would only be a matter of time before Howe discovered her body was nowhere to be found among the many slaughtered corpses.  
>Alistair frowned but didn't ask any questions and nodded.<br>"Don't worry Duncan I'll keep a watchful eye over her," he smiled reassuringly.  
>For some reason, something told me he'd do just that.<br>********************************************************

Elissa  
>Ostagar was proving to be a more intriguing place than I originally thought, so far during my continued exploring I'd met some interesting people. Firstly there was the circle mage Wynne, who had accompanied many other mages under the watchful eyes of numerous groups of Templars. We had talked about the upcoming battle as well as the tale of how the first Darkspawn had been originally Magisters of the Old Tevinter Imperium, who had found a portal leading to the Golden City, where the Maker once inhabited. However their sin corrupted the once beautiful city, turning dark and twisted. The Maker casted them out and transformed them into the now hideous and mutilated creatures we call Darkspawn. I wished the old mage luck and hoped she would survive the bloodshed that was about to occur in a matter of days. I had also come across my fellow brother in arms and had come to the conclusion that both men were either idiotic or way over their head. I had met the archer Daveth near the Quarter Master, where he unsuccessfully tried to flirt outrageously with a blonde soldier from the Kings army; much to my amusement she seemed to be rather put off and unimpressed.<br>Daveth had smiled in a charming sort of way when he had noticed my presence behind the woman and winked in my direction before casually sauntering over towards me. During our conversation he had informed me that Duncan was planning to send us all into Kocari Wilds for our initiation. An uneasy feeling of worry settled deep in my gut, Fergus used to tell myself and the young knight Ser Gilmore, who was roughly a year older than me, tales of the wilds, where the Chasind and Wilder folk inhabited alongside the cannibals and witches. I used to be scared out of my wits and sometimes begged my father not to go hunting in those forests in fear he would get eaten alive. He would laugh and stroke my hair soothingly as he told me it was all just a fable. Looking back at it now, my heart tightens and I feel myself falling in the darkness of despair. So I shake my head and concentrate on the task on hand.  
>After a while I grew tired of speaking with Daveth, with him trying to flirt with me every five seconds. The comment of him "watching my back" was the last straw, so I smiled pleasantly and informed him to go soak his head before turning swiftly onto my heal and walk up the ramp on his right, leaving him standing alone with his mouth wide open with disbelief.<br>Shortly after I met the final recruit Ser Jory, who was surrounded by soldiers from the two other armies. I immediately recognised him as one of the shop assistants in a Highever dress shop husband; Helena or Helmi or something like that.  
>Again like Daveth we spoke for awhile about how he was born and raised in Redcliffe, whilst also becoming a knight for the old Arl Eamon Guerrin. He also spoke of his wife, who was indeed a woman named Helena who lived in Highever and how he had moved there when he one day met her and became madly in love. They were expecting their first child in the spring and a hot spark of anger ran through my veins. This man knew how dangerous a life of a Grey Warden was and he thought it wise that instead of returning home to support his heavily pregnant wife, he would rather go gallivanting around the whole of Ferelden searching for honour and pride. Did he think of the possibility of dying? What Helena would do with a child if he suddenly was struck dead in the battle or even Darkspawn?<br>I couldn't stand to converse with him any longer so I made the excuse of needing to see Duncan. He smiled and prayed the Maker stay with me. I wandered for hours until I came across an excluded part of the ruins, overlooking the whole southern part of the Kocari Wilds. My eye scanned the ruined area until they located a fallen but sturdy pillar. Sighing I wandered over towards it and sat down.  
>The sky had started to turn into an odd mixture of reds, oranges and yellows as the sun started to disappear behind the mass army of trees. I had also been informed that Fergus was out on a scouting party with the handful of men my Father had sent along with him back in Highever. Staring out across the wilds, I knew somewhere he was out there and even though he was known for being an acceptable fighter, the thought of him fighting against all the things he had told me about when we were children, made my blood run cold; he was the only family I had left, I couldn't lose him.<br>"Thief! Thief! Somebody catch that elf!" A man's bellowing sliced through the silence of my thoughts and brought me to my feet. Following the sound of the shouts, I quickly proceeded to the main area of camp to see what all the commotion was about. An elf dressed only in a simple rag dress ran through central camp, weaving past several soliders. Her long blonde hair trailing after her as it fluttered in the breeze. A large man whose dark hair was fining stomped after her, until he managed to encircle her tiny wrist with one of his meaty hands. The elf struggled and pounded her free fist against his chest; however he had the upper hand as he was both taller and much stronger than she was, knowing this he caught hold of her other wrist.  
>"Let me go!" cried the elf as she struggled even more. The man brought her closer and leaned down towards her, so their faces were merely inches away.<br>"Not until you give me back what belongs to me!" He spat as his mouth turned into a snarl. Merchants and Soliders had started to form crowds, all trying to catch a glimpse at the spectre that was happening before them as they whispered amongst each other.  
>"I won't tell you again, let me go!"The elf shouted her voice shaking slightly.<br>"You're telling me what to do eh? Well this ought to remind you of your rightful place!" The man hastily let go of the girl's wrist and raised it above his head whilst clenching it into a tight fist. Knowing what was about to happen, I rushed from my place and pushed through the crowds of people. Before the barbaric man could make contact with the girls face, my hand shot forward seized the man's wrist.  
>"Now I don't think that's rather appropriate now," I advised whilst taking a closer look at the man's face to realise that it was The Quartermaster I had acquainted myself with earlier with. He turned his menacing glare from the elf and focused on me.<br>"You! Release me at once!" The Quartermaster demanded. "This elf here stole from my store, I have you know! I demand justice!" The Quartermaster accused, all the while shooting daggers at the young elf, who stood wide eyed and stiff.  
>"Yes of course, but can't we settle this without violence?" I asked. The Quartermaster snarled and viciously snatched his wrist from my grasp as he released the girls, whose hand was now turning a slightly purple colour. He took a couple of steps back as I slowly approached the elf. Her large emerald eyes sparkling with curiosity as I extended one of my armour clad hand.<br>"My names Elissa, you have nothing to fear I won't hurt you," I gave a small reassuring smile. "May I please have your name?"  
>The girl glanced at my hand then at my face before back to my hand, her face holding an expression of surprise and disbelief. Hesitantly her small tanned hand reached out to mine and weakly grasped it.<br>"Rose, my Lady," she replied, her voice small but yet somewhat confident.  
>"Rose," I repeated. "Well it's a pleasure to meet you," I said as I released her hand.<br>"Please! Pleasantries will get you know where!" He pointed one of his fingers towards Rose. "That elf stole a piece of my merchandise! Look! Look in her hand!" I threw a dark glare over my shoulder that made The Quartermaster flinch, then turned back to Rose.  
>"Can I have a look?" I asked gently as I glanced at her tightly fisted hand. She paused for a moment, debating whether to show me what was grasped so tightly in her hand, until reaching out she placed the small object into my hand. It was a small golden ring with a golden chain looped through it, various gems embedded into the band, glittered and shone from the dying sunlight.<br>"Did you steal this?" I asked my voice gentle.  
>Her gaze met mine and her eyes shone with an emerald fire.<br>"Yes, I did," she admitted her voice no longer small or afraid, but strong and confident.  
>"Aha! You see, she even admits it!" The Quartermaster practically squealed with delight as he smiled triumphantly. The crowds murmured to each other, whilst some gave a look of disgust towards Rose or smirked at her defeat. Once more I glared at the obese man only this time more heated; I was getting angrier as nobody seemed to care about the reason why, but instead came to conclusions due to someone's race.<br>"Let the girl speak," was all I said before turning back to the young blonde in front of me. "Why did you steal it?"  
>Rose merely glanced in the Quartermasters way before lifting her chin and began to speak.<br>"It was my Mother's engagement ring," she started. "It came into my possession when my Mother passed on two years ago." Again her attention focused on the man behind me and she glared at him furiously. "But that man cruelly snatched it from me, when I accidentally underpaid one of the soliders for a pair of gauntlets. In return he robbed me from my only treasure and beat me senseless until I couldn't see straight or walk in a straight line," Rose declared to everyone as she lifted her head higher and her eyes shone with unshed tears. My heart went out to her and my anger increased, it didn't matter if she was female and a girl, all that mattered was she was an elf who needed to be taught a lesson. To his eyes she was just merely scum.  
>"You little knife ears!" The Quartermaster roared with rage and made a pass so his outstretched hands could grab Rose's neck. Unconsciously I unsheathed one of the daggers I had strapped on my back and pointed it ceremoniously to his throat. Some of the soldiers gasped while some murmured with amusement.<br>"Watch your mouth," I hissed through clenched teeth, my anger had finally blown onto the surface. "Now I suggest you allow the girl to keep her heirloom," I raised an eyebrow waiting for his confirmation. The man's dark eyes widened with disbelief and fear as his face had paled considerably. For a moment he'd happily comply, until he turned his head slightly and spat in Rose's direction. In response, I pressed my dagger harder against his thick throat which caused him to whimper in return. I edged my face closer to his, so our faces were merely inches away.  
>"You know I should just slice you into..." I began until a familiar voice cut me off.<br>"Elissa! What in Makers name are you doing?" I turned to see Alistair rushing towards me, Daveth and Ser Jory not far behind him, both having either a terrified or amused expression on their faces.  
>"Teaching this pig some manner," I replied simply, my eyes back on the Quartermaster. Alistair glanced at my face then at the man I had against my dagger, until he sighed and warily placed a hand on my shoulder.<br>"Elissa you need to calm down, this isn't the way to solve things and you know it," he spoke in hushed tones so only I could hear.  
>I took a moment to search his face before sighing heavily; he was right, my anger wasn't going to solve things. However before I could say anything in response, a strong clear voice projected across camp.<br>"What on earth is all this commotion?"  
>Everyone turned in the direction where the voice was coming from, to see two figures, both in heavy armour standing with their arms folded and staring down at the scene before them; The man with the darker hair frowned deeply while the blonder one had traces of smirk. Immediately everyone dropped to their knees, their right hand covered over their left breast as they bowed their head; well everyone except me.<br>I stood still gaping at both figures until Alistair pulled me roughly to the ground beside him.  
>"What's going on?" I whispered as I mimicked his posture.<br>He gave me a wide eyed stare of disbelief.  
>"You must have caused a real uproar to have gotten General Loghain and King Cailan involved," he answered back and my mouth dropped open.<br>"That's the king?" I exclaimed which caused many soliders to peer curiously towards my direction and an impatient "Shhh!" from my senior Warden.  
>By gazing up from underneath my bangs, no one would notice if stared at the King. The first thing I noticed was that his golden armour matched the colour of his long braided hair and both gleamed blindingly in what was left of the sunlight. His Ivory skin made the dark lashes and surrounded clear blue eyes, even darker. His nose was long, strong and perfect, with plump lips directly below; I guess that was what you'd call a kissable mouth. It took me a moment to realise that that kissable mouth was turned upwards into a smirk and those crystal eyes were staring directly at me. My gaze shot to the ground and I felt my cheeks burn scarlet. <em>Surely he didn't see me staring right? <em>I thought to myself but quickly dismissed the idea due to the fact most my hair was covering my face, something to which I was extremely grateful for. I dared myself to take one more peak from behind my dark curls and to my amazement, he _was_ staring at me.  
><em>"I'll always watch over you Liss and when you wake up, I'll be by your side."<br>_The sound of someone's voice suddenly materialized in my head and I wondered was it a memory or simply my lack of sleep was finally taking its toll on me. The familiar dull ache spread across my forehead and my eyes felt heavy; if it was a memory, why now?  
>"I will not ask again, what in Makers name is this ruckus about?" demanded the older solider, who had to be none other than the legendary Hero of Riverdale, Teryn Loghain Mac Tir. He stood in front of the King and glared amongst the sea of soldiers, like a guardsman wanting a confession from a mass of peasants to see which one stole a piece of pie off the bakers window sill; but like those accused, none of the soldiers made a sound or any indication to move. Out of the corner of my eyes I could see the Quartermaster turning an interesting deep red, Loghain must have notice this too.<br>"You there merchant, perhaps you can shed some light to the current situation?"  
>The Quartermaster raised from his kneeling position and stood up hesitantly, glancing nervously between The General and King as rang his sweaty hands together.<br>"Well speak up!" Loghain demanded impatiently causing the Quartermaster to flinch at the sound of his voice. Cailan directed a narrowed glare towards his father-in-law.  
>The Merchant's hands began to move restlessly as he debated how to begin.<br>"W-well you s-see my lord," the man stuttered and visibly swallowed uncomfortably. "That e-elf there, stole a piece of my m-merchandise," he pointed a shaky finger towards Rose. "I was about to retrieve it, when that woman there threatened to cut my throat!"  
>I could feel eyes bore into me all around and heard Alistair's inward groan of displeasure.<br>"You there girl, rise," The Teryn ordered impatiently, as if the whole affair was tiring. I gave a side long glance towards Alistair, who gave me an equally worried expression.  
>With a sigh I rose from the ground and noticed my poleyns were dusty from where I'd been kneeling, I didn't brush it off but made a mental note to give my armour a good polishing later on.<br>I lifted my head high as I acknowledged both men before me, then placing my right hand over my left breast, I bowed slightly.  
>"My King, My Lord," I greeted them solemnly. I straightened up to see Loghain's mouth had turned into a thin line while his eyes were cold and piercing, meanwhile Cailan's expression was slightly more astonished yet equally friendly.<br>"Tell us; is it true you threatened this man?" The general asked. I regarded the Quartermaster from the corner of my eye and I noted he had cheered up considerably, with traces of a smug smile playing on the corners of his lips, as if to say _"Serves you right." _With every ounce of my pride I straightened my shoulders and stared at the General.  
>"Yes my Lord, I did."<br>By this point everyone had risen from their positions, but had made a clearing from Cailan and Loghain to where I stood; not to disrupt their line of sight. Surprised whispers emerged from the crowd, while I heard a sharp intake of breath from Alistair who them mumbled something that sounded like "Oh boy."  
>"However I have reasons for my actions," I explained and saw Loghain's dark brows shoot up to his hair line. Cailan raised a gauntlet hand to signal everyone to stop talking, which immediately caused silence to emerge.<br>"My lady," he began and I released that I liked the way his voice sounded song like but masculine. "Could you please explain the situation?" a trace of a smile graced his lips and for a second I was momentarily dazed, until I gave one nod of my head.  
>"Of course my King," I replied before turning slightly to face the Quartermaster, then to Rose, then back to Cailan. I inhaled deeply, on contemplated on my words.<br>"This man," I indicated a hand to the Quartermaster. "This man here has abused this young elven girl, not just physically but also mentally. He..." before I could continue my sentence Loghain interrupted me by sighing heavily.  
>"Yes, but what does that have to do with anything?"<br>Cailan shot Loghain an annoyed glare.  
>"Hush Loghain, let her speak," her ordered before directing his attention back to me and smiled. "Please continue."<br>I nodded and preceded towards Rose, she stood stiff and tense while her emerald eyes were wide with worry. I smiled encouragingly at her before holding out my hand towards her; she stared at it for a few seconds before hesitantly placing hers onto mine.  
>The sleeves of her discoloured rag dress were three quarter length and the tell tale yellow marks peeping past the material. Carefully I lifted her arm into the air and rolled back the loose sleeve, revealing the flesh to her skinny arms. Her tanned skin had a ring of dark purple and blue with yellow fading around the sides, around her bicep. The red marks round her wrist from her most recent attack angrily blazed.<br>"What you see here is the only part of the result of this man's violence towards this girl," I announced. Cailan's eyes widened as he took in the appearance of the marks, while Loghain sighed heavily. "This beating was due to the fact that she underpaid a soldier for some gauntlets accidently. Also he took the only possession she had beside the clothes on her back." I gave a sidelong glare towards the Quartermaster. "Like any normal person, she tried to fight back and if I had not intervened, these marks would now be around the neck of a corpse." Loghain nodded his head with acknowledgement, while Cailan frowned deeply. Again I glanced over towards the Quartermaster and saw he was visibly shaking, whether from anger or fear I did not know.  
>"The young elven girl," Loghain called. "Is what this soldier say is true?" Rose nervously glanced in my direction, where I smiled and nodded. She inhaled deeply before speaking.<br>"It is your Lordship," she replied and regarded her employer before directing her gaze to her shuffling feet.  
>"My Lord, do not listen to this..." The Quartermaster began but was cut off.<br>"Silence," The King ordered. "Obviously there has been some injustice." His blue eyes found mine and held them for a second. "Therefore I declare you return this girl's possession."  
>The Quartermasters mouth dropped and the colour drained from his face once more as he stared hastily at the dusty ground.<br>"Yes your Majesty," was all he replied. Cailan nodded but Loghain frowned deeply.  
>"Cailan you must not forget that this girl stole from her employer, she must be punished!" Loghain argued.<br>I opened my mouth to protest, but the gentle touch of Alistair's hand on my arm made me turn to face him; his amber eyes were warm as they were sending me a clear message not to say anything. Closing my mouth I did as I was told and decided my mouth had gotten us in this mess in the first place.  
>"May I suggest something my King?" a cool voice called near Loghain and Cailan. They both turned to see Duncan casually strolling up towards them. Duncan looked between the faces of the Quartermaster, The King, Rose, Alistair and then me. Even though his face was as calm and collected as usual, his eyes shone brightly with disappointment.<br>Cailan turned and smiled at the Warden Commander.  
>"Of course Duncan, what do you suggest?"<br>Duncan came and stood beside me and Rose, for a moment our eyes met and he shot me a look that my father used to give me saying, "We'll discuss this later."  
><em>Well Andraste's tits! There goes trying to make a good impression<em>, I thought to myself as I lowered my head like a child ready to be scolded.  
>"Perhaps it wise if this girl was removed from the merchant's employment and become Elissa's new charge?" Duncan suggested causing my head to snap up in surprise. The Quartermaster gave an outraged cry and Cailan and Duncan stared at each other, as if they were communicating through their eyes.<br>"Where would the girl sleep?" Loghain inquired, it seemed he wasn't very fond of the idea.  
>"She will stay with the wardens," Duncan simply replied, causing the whispers to emerge once more. Most of the soldiers were either shocked at how this new development.<br>Cailan gave one clap of his hands and smiled brightly.  
>"Well then it's all sorted. The girl will be hereby at this moment removed from the merchant's employment and will now serve the Grey Wardens,"<br>"Cailan might I suggest..." Loghain protested before pausing due to Cailan's hand rose for silence.  
>"Loghain there's nothing to suggest, I've already made my mind," Cailan smiled. "Now shall we return to my tent and resume our previous discussion?"<br>Loghain sighed as he dropped the matter and nodded. Cailan turned his attention back to the crowd and smiled warmly.  
>"Everyone you may disperse and carry on with you previous work," He ordered before turning swiftly onto his heal and glided in the opposite direction, Loghain following closely behind him.<br>The last thing I saw was the gleaming sight of his armour before he retreated inside his tent.


	5. Revelations

**A/N: Hello Lovely People! Firstly I have to apologise from the bottom of my heart about the excruciatingly long break I've taken, for you see I was finishing school as well as starting my A levels and taking those dreaded thing we call exams, so to get my grades up I had to put the adventures of Cailan and Elissa on hold. BUT I'M BACK! I have many more chapters already written in my trusty notebook and I will try to post them when I get the chance to. Also a HUGE thank you to all those guys reviewing, following and added A Prince to Remember to their favorites, you guys rock and all deserve a cookie from me :) Now with out further to do, I present the long awaited chapter 5.**

**Ren.**

**WARNING: THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS SOME GRAPHIC VIOLENCE THAT MAY DISTURB THE FAINT HEARTED, SO MOVE ON KIDDIES!  
><strong>

**CHAPTER 5: Revelations**

~~~~*₰Cailan₰*~~~~

Loghain was furious and as usual I was the cause, maybe I should have chosen my time more wisely to inform him I had the intention to fight on the front line. We had arrived back in the comfort of my tent, leaving the situation with the young elven girl and Elissa behind. Thinking back to the event, a surge of pride for Elissa coursed through me; the way she handled the situation was typical of her, even when we were children she was always hot headed. As she spoke to Loghain I could see the exact replica of Bryce, her demeanor calm but the passion in her voice could clear as crystal and could persuade the most stubborn of men.  
>However that wasn't all, Elissa had even<em> looked<em> at me let alone speak to me, without the result of her collapsing. This knowledge brought a surge of hope as well as quenching the fear I initially had of seeing her. The memory of when I last saw her; those long seven years ago back in Highever came in a rush, resurfacing a wave of emotions that I thought I had long buried.  
><em>Elissa laid in her huge four poster bed, her arms resting over the a top on the silk sheet, the crimson colour making her porcelain skin look even paler. Dark circles marked underneath her closed eyes and her face was more gaunt then it had been only a three days ago; she looked like a corpse lying in that huge bed with her white nightgown, making her look delicate as one of those china dolls all the young noble girls had imported from Orlais .<br>Slowly I approached the bed kneeling beside her and took hold of the hand nearest to me; her hands felt like ice and my thumb gently stroked over her knuckles, as if it would warm her up.  
>Guilt twisted in my gut as a lump I couldn't swallow formed in my throat. If only we hadn't separated in the woods she wouldn't be in this state, if only Ser Gilmore hadn't of dragged me away she would be here smiling.<br>The tears welled in my eyes as I stared at the ugly purple marks that covered her neck and face as well as her bust lip. This only made my anger grow and I swore to the Maker I would find the bastards who'd done this and make them pay.  
>Tentatively I reached out and brushed an auburn lock away from her face and tucked it neatly behind her ear. As soon as my hand touched her hair, sapphire eyes opened wide and stared at me.<em>

_My lips curved in a slight smile, the feeling of relief coursed through me, as well as being ecstatic that Elissa had finally awoken. I opened my mouth to speak, only to be cut off by a piercing scream.  
>Elissa struggled in the bed as she kicked and threw her arms all over the place, her head vigorously moving from side to side. I grabbed her arms to restrain her and cried out to Fergus who was opposite side of her door. Elissa's screams continued as he rushed to help, her nails clawing into my forearms as she tried to push me away. I cried out her name hoping that in some way it would calm her, but this only caused her to struggle even more.<br>Fergus ran to her side and helped to restrain her, grabbing her arms also and holding them to the bed. Bryce and Eleanor bolted into the room, a mage they had hired following shortly behind. Eleanor's hands shot to her mouth to muffle the cry that tore her lips as she laid eyes on the state of her only daughter. Bryce ran towards Elissa and gathered her in his arms and whispered that she was safe, repeating it like a mantra. She gave one a loud gasp and the screaming ceased as she sagged in her father's arms; her hands went limp from mine and Fergus' arms as they fell onto the bed.  
>None of us dared to move let alone breathe until we knew she'd finally calmed down. Fear consumed me as I stared down at her still form, her hair sticking to her face from the tears that had cascaded down her cheeks. Eleanor was the first to break the silence.<br>"I-Is she...?" her voice quivered as she dared not to finish the sentence, but we all knew what she was asking.  
>Bryce shook his head as he held Elissa closer and brushed the dampened strands away from her lovely face.<br>"No," He shook his head as he stared down at her. "She's just unconscious."  
>Eleanor gave a sigh of relief as well thanks to the Maker, as me and Fergus just stared at her whilst releasing her arms.<br>"Fergus, please can you take Cailan to your room and stay there until we call for you," Bryce insisted as he beckoned the mage over. We both opened our mouths to protest, but the Teryn gave us a pleading look to do as he asked. Closing our mouths we rose from the bed and reluctantly complied._

_Before heading down the corridor, I paused in the doorway and watched as the faint blue magic emanate from the mage's hands as they hovered over Elissa's still form. My heart gave a squeeze as I stared at her face; she had paled considerably more, if that was even possible. I looked down to the bloodied crescent marks engraved into my skin and swallowed as I gripped my hands into fists, causing the muscle in my forearms to scream in protest. With a final look, I turned on my heel and followed Fergus._

Since then, I never saw Elissa again as I was shipped off back to the palace in Denerim. I would send letters asking of her health, some grief-stricken talking of how much I missed her and that I wished to see her once more as well as that mischievous curve of her lip as she came up with a new scheme to play on Fergus or Nan, but no matter how many I sent, they were always returned to me with the Theirin seal unbroken. At first I was angry at the fact we were being kept separated, but then I thought that she had grew angry towards me for leaving her in those woods and practically left her for dead; the very thought silenced and quelled my anger and replaced it with even more grief. For some time this is what I thought to be the reason so I kept my distance, until one day I'd had enough and mounted my horse to travel to Highever so we could finally talk face to face. That was what I was determined to do, until Fergus showed up in my father's study, in dire need to speak with me.  
>Usually I would have been happy to see the eldest Cousland child, but all my pent-up emotions finally exploded as my anger lashed out onto him. He sat there, in the parlour of my room silently listening to what I had to say and never did he once interrupt. After I had finally finished my rant, I stood by the fireplace panting and red, while Fergus sat stiffly on the sofa, eyes fixated on the flickering flames behind me.<br>_"Cailan, there's something I must tell you," was all he said and by the tone of his voice I knew it was something bad. For the next couple of hours, he told me of Elissa's condition; as soon as I had left the day after she had collapsed once more, she woke up again a few days later, only this time she had forgotten everything about her life before she woke from her coma like state; It took her at least a month for her to slowly remember her family and odd things like the date of her birthday or how to use her daggers or bow. Fergus then told me that the mage who was healing her explained that prior her being rescued and returned to Highever, her mind had shut down probably due to the experience being too traumatic, she locked it away deep subconsciously and that due to her mental stability being weak, anything that could remind her of the event could course her to slip back into a coma; This was the reason why she had screamed when she first laid eyes on me and fought against us.  
>"Cailan, the reason I have come here today is because I felt it would be better if I told you in person and not from one of the messengers," he began as I stared at him long and confused.<br>"Tell me what?"  
>Fergus hesitated for a moment before sighing heavily.<br>"Everyone knows that you and Liss have a bond, a strong one at that, but considering what happened when you were at Highever last maybe it's best..."  
>With widened eyes, I felt my mouth drop as well as my chest tightening when I realised what it was he was asking.<br>"Are you asking me not to see her?" I whispered in disbelief.  
>Fergus' answer was to lower his gaze to the ground.<br>_ I looked up to see Loghain had disappeared from my tent and let out a shaky laugh as I raked a hand down my weary face.  
>This place was suffocating, the interior of my tent seemed to be caving in, making it hard to breath and my head feel light headed. I needed to escape and breathe in the fresh air and shake away the thoughts of battle in my mind. I knew I was being selfish but once my mind was relatively unclouded, the clearer my concentration would be.<br>After leaving my father's long-sword as well as the shield in the golden chest blazing with the Theirin family crest underneath my makeshift cot, I left my tent once more.  
>The summers air blew gently in as the sparrows sung their evening song, their bodies silhouetted against the crimson twilight.<br>Soldiers trained as hard as they had since the early light of morning, the sounds of metal clashing one another as well as the twang of a bow and a heavy thunk of an arrow hitting its target, all carried through the air in camp.  
>A surge of pride ran through me as I watched their determination. I couldn't understand why Loghain had reacted so angrily on my proposal on fighting on the front lines, surely it would increase both the solider's confidence but also their might as they knew their King was fighting this battle alongside them? It was what my father would have done; that was what I was most certain about. He wouldn't have just stood and watch as his army fought for their lives to defeat those mutilated monsters, no he would have fought along side all those men and women, standing tall and proud as he fought for glory. If that was what my father would have done, than that was what I intended to do; with or without Loghain's blessing.<br>I needed to talk to Duncan, he'd agree with me.  
>As I approached the Warden side of camp, I came across Duncan talking to the new recruits, which of course involved Elissa. The sight of her made my chest tighten almost painfully; her dark hair was tied up into a high ponytail while the sun made the silken strands glow almost crimson, which enhanced and made her sharp features more define.<br>She was nodding vigorously at something Duncan had said, her mouth set in a thin line but those beautiful sapphire eyes danced with excitement.  
>I smiled to myself as I recognized that certain look. During my summers in Highever I would be stuck in the library, reading about the history of Ferelden, when a young Elissa would come storming through the door and interrupt my concentration.<br>_"Cailan! There you are!" she huffed in exaggeration as a large grin appeared, which in response had me grinning back; her smile was contagious as well as her laughter and one couldn't help but join in.  
>"I was searching the whole blighted castle for you! Why in Makers name are you cramped up in here?" Her reddish hair was tied into a long plait that cascaded down her the middle of her back, yet loose strands sprung from their place.<br>Elissa wasn't like any other noble girl I'd met. Instead of gowns made from the finest Orlesian silk, she preferred the comfort of breeches and a linen shirt, preferably one of Fergus' old ones that were too small. She was also a fanatic about sparring, rather than accompanying other noble girls to visit all the Highever stores to buy the latest fashions in Ferelden, instead you would see her in the sparring ring rallying against one of the Knights or her brother; She truly was a unique soul.  
>"I thought I'd catch up on my reading," I didn't look up from the book, but I had long-lost the place I was reading. "My Uncle insists that even though I'm not at the palace, my education is still important and required." I shrugged and saw out the corner of my eyes as she folded her arms across her chest, her grin disappearing as a deep frown replaced it.<br>"Oh really? And what do _you _want to do?"  
>The answer was simple; I wanted to spend the day with her, like I did everyday when I came to visit, however Eamon was right. I was thirteen and I needed my knowledge of Ferleden and her politics to expand, after all it was my duty as the heir to the throne.<br>"Elissa, I think you already know the answer to that question," I gave her a single glance before returning to the contents before me, however as soon as I had found the sentence I was once previously on, the book vanished. Surprised, I looked up to see Elissa holding the old journal in her hands, cobalt eyes scanning the cover.  
>"So you're telling me you'd rather stay cooped up in here, reading about 'The History of Ferelden' and pass a perfectly good opportunity to pull a prank on Fergus?" She frowned whilst raising a dark brow.<br>"Elissa..."  
>"When did you become so <em>boring_ Cailan," she spat the word in disgust as her face was a mask of pure horror, however her eyes shone with mischief.  
>"I am not boring!" I exclaimed and stood up from my chair, whilst placing my hands firmly on my hips.<br>"Well come outside with me!"  
>I hesitated for a moment. She was my own personal demon, tempting me away from my duties.<br>"But my Uncle..."  
>"Sod Eamon!" She threw her arms in the air dramatically as she stalked towards me. "He's a dozy old bat who has no sense of fun!" A heavy sigh fell from her pink lips as she took on a serious expression. "Cailan you're only thirteen, which means you're still a child," she began her eyes boring into mine, "If you keep worrying about what Eamon thinks or says, you're going to grow up too fast," a small smile tugged the corners of her lips, "Besides, what would happen to my partner in crime? I'd have to use Rory Gilmore instead."<br>I couldn't help but laugh which only broadened her grin. It was a well known fact Roland Gilmore, one of Bryce's young knight recruit who was a year older than Elissa, was a goody two shoes; he couldn't get away with anything before blabbing his deepest darkest secrets to the adults.  
>I closed the small distance between us, which made Elissa tilt her neck due to the height difference. A dark loose tress escaped from her plait and hung in front of her face, smiling I reached out and tucked the silky strand behind her ear.<br>"You know, you can be freakishly mature sometimes," I murmured as my hands travelled and rested onto her small shoulders. She laughed and the silvery sound filled the small room, warmth blooming in my chest.  
>"So I've been told," She placed the book onto the journal filled table besides us, then reached up and took hold of one of hands; I couldn't help but muse how her small hand fitted perfectly into my larger one. "Come on, I believe Fergus is out sparring and I feel it's the perfect time for payback after calling me a brat at dinner last night," she gave a toothy grin as she dragged me out of the dusty room and into the sunlight.<br>_"Cailan?" A deep voice asked, bringing me out of my train of thought. I blinked a couple of times to see Duncan standing before me; a concerned expression played his features.  
>"Ah Duncan, I apologise my mind wondered for a moment there," I said as my eyes scanned the camp. There was no sign of Elissa or the other recruits.<br>"Yes I could see that, your majesty," He replied rather dryly. "What brings you to the Warden sector?"  
>My attention focused on Duncan, there was a reason to come here and it wasn't to drool over Elissa while taking a trip down memory lane. But maybe she'd gone to her tent or the other side of camp? She definitely wasn't amongst the other Wardens.<br>"Hmm? Oh Yes! I was... err hoping if I could speak with you," I spoke a little too fast and stumbled over my words. Duncan must have noticed for he raised a dark brow and stepped to one side.  
>"Well then why don't we discuss this somewhere no prying ears hear Your Majesty?"<br>I nodded and headed in the direction of the largest tent in the sector, which of course was appointed to the commander of the legendary Grey Wardens. My eyes were constantly wandering round camp, just to catch a glimpse of the dark-haired beauty.  
>"I see your men are adjusting nicely, I trust everything is in order?" I asked as we entered the small yet spacious tent, unlike mine and Loghain's, the Warden Commanders accommodation was rather humble and modest; not decorated with fancy furnishings or any frivolous accessories.<br>Duncan sat behind the small make shift table that was buried beneath a mountain of documents and maps, his hands resting on the glossy table as he watched me with a questionable gaze, while I opted to sit on an old creaking chair that was facing him.  
>"Of course your majesty, we are grateful for all you have done for us and to answer your question, we needn't anything else," the commander replied cool and collected. I nodded and glanced around awkwardly around my confined surroundings, in search of another topic to discuss.<br>A pregnant silence fell between us and my mind wandered on where the newest female recruit had wondered off to. She was literally in hands grasp and then when my back was turned for a second she had vanished, like a mystic forest nymph appearing before my very eyes but also taunting me that she was so far from my reach.  
>"She's in the Kocari Wilds," Duncan's somber tone rang out through the enclosed space, I looked across to his neutral face with a look of confusion.<br>"Excuse me?"  
>"Elissa, she and the other recruits are in the Kocari Wilds," the older man steeled his fingers together and placed them under his greying yet impressive beard.<br>It took a moment for his words to process my mind, to sink into my skin when eventually the icy dread of fear gripped my heart as my eyes widened with realization.  
>"The Kocari wilds?" I choked, my breath stopping short as I hastily rose from my chair and started pacing.<br>"Cailan now I know you're upset but..."  
>"Upset?" I hissed "No I'm not upset, what makes you think I'm upset? No I don't think word upset covers the way I'm feeling right now," My eyes narrowed into an icy glare towards Duncan as I could feel my body shake with suppressed anger and the strong desire to break something was almost overwhelming. "What in Makers name were you thinking by sending her out there?" My hands restlessly ran through my hair every now and then pulling at my scalp; what if she got hurt? Fergus was sent with a scouting party into those very same wilds and he had yet to return. All different scenarios ran through my head and all had devastating results that all made my blood run cold.<p>

"Cailan sit down," Duncan gently demanded as my pacing wouldn't cease, I knew I shouldn't over react, I knew I was being shown as week but I just couldn't sit down. I wanted to find her, run out of this tent and tear through camp into the Kocari Wilds, I'd find her then carry her back to camp and if I could, have her stay in my tent surrounded by my personal guard so no harm would ever come to her.  
>But I couldn't, so in defeat I sat down. Duncan stared at me for a moment to see if I was calm and in control of my emotions and when he was certain that I was, he tilted his head slightly.<br>"Firstly you have to understand she's not alone. She has Alistair and two other recruits and the young elven girl too, also like I mentioned earlier she's a perfectly capable soldier," the commander paused for a moment to watch my reaction before continuing, my back was tense as I sat rigidly in my seat. "Secondly, the reason I've sent her into the wilds is for her initiation into the Wardens."  
>My hands which were wringing stopped and my eyes narrowed one more.<br>"Prove herself?" I asked with barely contained rage. "So you mean to tell me that the fact she survived the massacre of her entire family and house occupants isn't enough?" I asked my words dripping with acid, the very notion was preposterous, she had to endure so much, yet Duncan was pushing her straight into the deep end, no time to grieve.  
>"No I'm not saying that at all, yes its true her attitude and skill helped her survive the massacre but she's never encountered any darkspawn," Duncan argued calmly and shook his head.<br>"Yes but why **now**? After everything that's happened, it's been barely two days!" I voice cracked as the anger finally surfaced.  
>"Your Majesty please think about this, I understand the current effects and I know that this is rushing all too quickly, but the Blight will not halt just for grief; think of the many thousands of your subjects who have also been through this similar situation."<br>I paused in mid-stride as the mention of the Blight, the thought instantly draining the pent up emotions from my body.  
>What was I doing? Of course Duncan was right, we were in the middle of war and I couldn't pause and stress about Elissa, if I really wanted her safe I would do everything in my power to stop the those monsters create corruption and devastation to our land. Of course I could not help the feeling of guilt of dragging her into this war, but I knew in the outcome would lead to us both being victorious, especially if she were to become one of the legendary Grey Wardens; the thought was indeed glorious.<br>"How long will they stay in the wilds?" I asked in defeat; I'd calmed down but my voice still edged with a harsh tone.  
>Duncan gave me long calculated stares, probably debating whether to reveal in any information regarding the initiation.<br>"Two days maybe three, that is without disturbances along the way."  
>At that moment the distinct sound of a someone clearing their throat caught my attention, I turned in my seat to see Wendall standing in the opening of the tent, his hand folded neatly behind his back.<p>

"Your Majesty," he bowed slightly. "Warden Commander Duncan," he repeated the gesture. "I beg your forgiveness for the intrusion but General Loghain is demanding your presence my Lord."  
>I pinched the bridge of my nose and sighed; I could feel my headache returning.<br>"Yes thank you Wendall, please inform the General I will be with him in a moment," Wendall nodded before bowing one more and swiftly retreating as I stood and turned to follow.

"Cailan," Duncan's voice made me pause and I turned to face him. "Try not to worry about her, she will be fine."  
>I tried to smile but it felt forced and strained; I wanted to believe his words, I truly did, however the icy knot of worry twisted deep into my soul. Once I left the tent I headed towards the central warden area in search of the other wardens.<br>Sod Loghain, a king needed a break once in a while.

~~~~*₰Elissa₰*~~~~

Nothing could have prepared me for this. Duncan had sent us to the wilds in search for some ancient warden documents and three vials of darkspawn blood; I hadn't the slightest clue on why Duncan would want the liquid life of those creatures or what these documents were, but I trusted his judgement.  
>It wasn't long after departing camp that I understood everyone's reluctance as well as the fear that cam apparent in their eyes whenever the wilds were mentioned.<br>Our small group came into a clearing, everywhere was covered with a crimson sheet of blood, carcasses scattered the seemingly deserted field with various debris of wagons and crates; the smell of death polluting the air.

Stealthily we crept our way towards the center of the field; despite our armor our feet moved silently across the soiled ground. It was quiet and I began to wonder whether the rumors that had escalated about the wilds had unnerved me, the expectation of something to appear and maul was to death at first sight was possibly too high; but of course I was proven wrong.  
>It was the smell that gave them away; a rancid mixture of rotten flesh and bodily fluids, their mutilated bodies and faces, which once held features that resembled a face, now possessed torn and ragged pieces of flesh that hung off decaying muscle; it took everything in my power not to bring up the contents in my stomach, the acidic taste rising in my throat.<br>They came bounding towards us with laughs that could only be described as pure evil, for a moment I was paralyzed with fear, my mind was screaming for me to unsheathe my dagger and family sword and dispose of these soulless creatures before me back to the Black City, but I couldn't because my body refused to move.  
>The beasts drew closer and closer, the smell growing more putrid I could almost taste it, they were charging faster every second but still my body refused to comply to wait my brain was screaming to do.<br>It was Alistair's fierce battle cry that broke my hesitation, my hands swiftly reaching for my weapons before joining in with the fray of battle.  
>Rose was firing a continuous flow of arrows, each one hitting their target with perfect accuracy. She looked like a drawing from one of those stories from the books my mother would read to me as a child; about the fearless warrior flying into battle, in a courageous and beautiful attempt to protect her people, her heart full of purity and kindness that the mere sight of her would cause her enemies cower with fear. Daveth was beside her with his bow, every now and then he would shoot her a charming smile, which she seemed to wisely ignore. I rolled my eyes; even in the midst of battle, the pick pocket archer chose to flirt;<br>they were obviously fine and appeared they could handle themselves.  
>My eyes scanned the chaotic field for any sign of my two other companions, whilst dodging blows and slashing at nearby enemies until I caught sight of the quivering frame of Ser Jory on the outskirts of the battle. His face had paled considerably as he was gripping on the hilt of his Great sword, the leather of his gauntlets straining to the point I thought they might rip.<br>I opened my mouth to cry out for him to fight, when I felt a sudden impact to my chest that sent me gliding through the air and land hastily on the bloodied floor. My head came into contact with the solid ground with a sickening thump, causing my vision to blur; I blinked a couple of times for my sight to focus on one of the darkspawn looming over my form, its mouth formed a twisted snarl as it let out one of its distorted laughs, the beasts battleaxe raised above him.  
>Frantically I tried to grasp my weapons only to find them out of my reach; closing my eyes and taking a deep breath I calmed myself, I knew my fate but refused to accept it.<br>Quickly whist leaning on my elbows for leverage, my legs shot out and kicked the fiend square in the chest, causing it to fall as I rolled to one side and grabbed my discarded dagger and sword. The creature stood once more, its ragged breath cutting through the air before charging at full speed towards me; anger fueling his need to kill and disembody me.  
>I stayed still taking a couple of deep breaths until when the beast was close enough, I arched the blade of my family sword so it pierced through the mutilated torso, the same area in which the heart would have been. The creature struggled for a moment, its arms flailing slightly, the clouded demonic eyes penetrating my stare. In a quick moment I brought up my dagger and hacked through the thick muscle of its neck until eventually the head fell to the ground with a dull thud; dark putrid blood squirted from the severed arteries as the lifeless body fell alongside its decapitated head.<p>

Standing still for a moment, I inhaled deeply ignoring the stench that polluted the air. Waiting until my breathing became shallower and my heart beat at its normal pace before my eyes scanned the area once more to see that Ser Jory had shaken his initial fear and fought alongside with Alistair; his great sword arching gracefully in the air, as it sliced through the flesh of his opponents.  
>With adrenaline coursing through my veins, my blood screaming to destroy those who had polluted our lands and massacred our people, I ran and joined my comrades in the midst of battle.<p>

As we approached nearer to the destination of the documents based on the co-ordinates on the map Duncan had given us, we encountered even more darkspawn. I had known when the Warden Commander had conscripted me, becoming a Grey Warden would be a difficult task but I never imagined that it would have been _this_ exhausting, both mentally and physically.  
>The sun began to set and the chill of the twilight drew upon us as Alistair suggested we set up camp in a small clearing surrounded by a shield of trees; exhausted we all agreed enthusiastically, little did I know I'd face my biggest challenge yet. Everyone was assigned a tent, where they had to assemble it themselves, however there was only one problem; I'd never set up a tent in my life. So while everyone sat in their handmade shelters, protecting themselves from icy night's air, I was still working out the mechanisms of the contraption Alistair had given me. No matter how hard I tried whether the poles wouldn't stay up right or when the over-sheet got carried away by the wind, the tent refused to stay up. It seemed like hours I stood around with the blasted thing before my temper got the better of me and I threw the poles to the floor before pinching the bridge of my nose with my thumb and fore-finger as I let out a frustrated breath.<br>"Elissa? Um are you okay?"  
>I glanced over my shoulder to see a nervous Alistair slowly approach me, a frown thinning his lips and his eyes wary.<br>"The damn thing hates me," I muttered as his brows gathered in confusion.  
>"Sorry, what hates you?" he asked. I turned round so quickly to face him that my superior Warden had to take a step back.<br>"This contraption here!" I exclaimed and pointed to the dismembered mess beside me. "The bloody thing just won't stand! I've been at it for hours and no matter what I do, it just won't hold together!" my leg shot out to kick the offending object out of my sight , the pole hit my boot with a soft clunk.  
>Alistair's head dropped as his shoulders began to quiver, I stared at him in alarm and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Alistair are you quite alright?"<br>The large Warden raised his head slightly and stared at my face, I opened my mouth to ask again if he was okay when suddenly he tilted his head back and roared with laughter. For a moment I stood in what could only be described as shock as my eyes widened from his sudden outburst. Every now and then Alistair would look up, take one glance at my unimpressed expression then laugh even harder. The anger I had previously experienced came rushing back to the surface, making my fists clench. "What are you laughing at?" I demanded.  
>Tears filled Alistair's honey eyes as he clutched his sides whilst trying to look at my face.<br>"The tent...is... out to... get you?" He managed to gasp in between his laughter.  
>Folding my arms across my breastplate, I raised an eyebrow.<br>"What, you think you could do any better?"  
>Alistair took a couple of deep breaths to calm himself before straightening his posture.<br>"My dear lady, have you not seen my already made tent? Of course I could," he smiled smugly, his amber eyes twinkling with silent laughter.  
>"Well prove it then, for you see this tent will simply not stand," I said as I waved a hand dismissively at my tent. Alistair simply just smiled before brushing past me to get to work.<br>Rose was resting on a fallen tree trunk that laid beside the roaring fire Daveth and Jory had created, a mortar and pestle in her hands as she crushed what seemingly looked like herbs.  
>"I wouldn't let him get to you," the elf said as I took a seat besides her, the warmth of the fire creating a pleasant sensation as it sunk into my tired muscles.<br>"I'm not," I replied simply as I stared into the flickering flames. "I'm tense and ache, so I apologize if I'm not in the most joyous mood."  
>Rose snorted and the sound was accompanied with the grinding of stone against stone as they came into contact with each other.<br>"It's understandable, I mean today was the first time you encountered darkspawn yes?"

A small laugh escaped my lips as I disposed of my gauntlets and stretched my now bare hands towards the fire.  
>"Was it that obvious?"<br>"No not really, however when you first paused it gave it away, but you handled the first spawn that attacked you well, better than I had when I first encountered the beasts."  
>I turned and stared at the elven girl's profile, her face blank from any expression was illuminated by an orange glow created from the fire, dancing over the pale skin.<br>"You've fought darkspawn before?" I asked, although it really wasn't a surprise considering the way she handled herself during the small battle. Rose bobbed her sun-kissed head once whilst still crushing the herbs in the mortar.  
>"We once stayed in the small village called Lothering for a while," she began as her expression became wistful. "I liked staying there, life was so simple and quiet you know? Anyway, the Quarter-master thought we'd have a better profit if we moved on to Denerim, seeing as it was Ferelden's capital and all," she paused as she gently tapped the pestle against the rim the mortar and placed the contents into a small glass vial. Once done she put the vial besides her feet before clasping both her hands together and stared into the fire.<p>

"We travelled for a couple of days along the Imperial Highway; it was on the third day of travelling that I remember the wheel of our cart breaking due to a loose rock or something. We paused to mend it, the weather wasn't good you see and the Quarter-master wanted to hurry to Denerim. But before we knew it, the creatures surrounded us," she paused and swallowed, these were seemingly dark memories. "We didn't even hear them approach, everyone was petrified - well everyone except for my sister." She smiled slightly. "I couldn't even move, rooted to the spot I was, yet in the end I was pushed inside the wagon."  
>It was hard to imagine the headstrong elf to be terrified, especially of darkspawn considering her determination and somewhat hot-headedness as that was shown during the battle, but then again fear was a natural emotion, it was what made us human.<br>"You have a sister?" I asked softly and suddenly wished I hadn't, as Rose's previous delicate smile vanished and a much darker expression clouded her features.  
>"I used to," she replied simply before turning slightly to direct her gaze towards where Alistair was. "I believe the buffoon has finished with your tent, milady."<br>My eyes followed hers and saw that she was indeed correct; Alistair had successfully set up my tent and there was no sign of it collapsing.  
>Our eyes met as a smug smile spread across his handsome face, his amber eyes sparkling as if to say 'I told you so'.<br>After a fleeting glance at Rose, I stood and made my way towards Alistair's direction. Carefully I inspected the newly risen tent and true to his word, Alistair had definitely set up the contraption correctly, as the poles were secured to the ground, while the sheet didn't aimlessly flap all over the place; this knowledge made me extremely annoyed.  
>"Well I must say you were right Alistair, you truly can set up a tent much better than me," I sighed dramatically as Alistair's smile broadened at the compliment.<br>Dropping my hand from the tent I took a step towards the glowing Warden, a small smile playing on my lips as I tilted my head towards his.  
>"So seeing as you're the leader of the group and also a proven fine tent maker, perhaps you don't mind setting up my tent every night, do you?"<br>Alistair's mouth repeatedly opened and closed searching for words of refusal, but before he could, I interrupted him. "Well then it's settled! You truly are a gentleman Alistair, thank you ever so much," I purposefully covered my mouth and yawned. "Now I think it wise if I retire for the evening, goodnight everyone," I nodded towards my fellow soldiers as they simply replied "Goodnight" back. Whilst patting Alistair on his breastplate I watched as his jaw dropped while his eyes gazed at my face in astonishment.  
>"Goodnight Alistair and thank you again," I smiled before brushing past him and ducking into my newly resurrected tent. I could still see Alistair's silhouette on the canvas as the light of the fire played against it, until I heard the distinct voice of Daveth calling him over.<br>As soon as I was sure he had retreated, I wasted no time shedding my armor and placing it into a neat pile in the corner of my small accommodation; they were filthy, covered with grime and blood, so I made a mental note to give them a thorough clean when we returned to Ostagar.  
>Eventually after I had retrieved the brush from my pack and untangled the ragged mess of my hair to something slightly more acceptable, I snuggled into my blanket and rested my head onto my pack; almost immediately I fell into a dutiful sleep.<p>

_I was back in Highever sparring with Ser Gilmore, as usual he would mock me as our laughter would fill the room, causing some guards or my father's soldiers to join and watch us as we tried to outdo one another.  
>Piercing screams sliced through the air as we dissolved our match. Servants burst through the door, only to be slain by the soldiers trailing behind them; slicing their throats, the servants fell to the ground, their last breath of life replaced with a gurgle of blood.<br>I stood armed ready to fight, when I felt a hand upon my shoulder. Ser Gilmore pulled me away from the sparring ring, insisting me to run and never look back, so I did what he asked. I ran back into the castle as I slashed and killed every soldier that got in my way, endless pleas and prayers left my lips as they the desperation urged me to run faster, my eyes would scan the bloodied corpses that I came across for any sign of my family; I felt sick and the tears ran down my cheeks. Why would Howe do this?  
>I made it to the family quarters, a spark of hope igniting in my chest but as I flung the door open a heart-wrenching scream pierced through the silence of the room.<br>They'd all had their throats slit and multiple stab wounds had punctured their chests. Mother and Oriana were seen to of had more attention compared to that of father and Oren; their skirts bunched above their thighs with legs slashed legs apart.  
>I felt weak and my knee's began to buckle, the tears flowed faster as I sore on the bodies of my family that I would find Howe and pierce the bastard's heart with the Cousland family sword.<br>But I would never get to receive that justice.  
>I felt an impact on my back, which caused me to fall to the cold stone floor, next to my father's body. I stared at his pale face and took a moment to wonder how he could have such a peaceful expression during such chaos.<br>Slowly I turned and my heart sank at the sight of Rendon Howe standing in the doorway to the room, his bow notched and ready, that snake like smile present on his lips.  
>I tried looking for my weapons as I grouped the area around me, only to discover they'd been scattered to the far side of the room. My hand tried to grasp one of the soldier's discarded dagger that was only an arm's reach, when Howe's armored boot came into contact with my arm. He shifted all his weight onto that leg and then with a sharp twist of his ankle created a sickening crack that ricocheted off the stone walls.<br>A scream tore from my lips as the pain flared up my arm, which only fueled Howe's delight, causing that smile to widen.  
>"I've got you now my dear," he declared before pulling back the string of the bow and shot the arrow straight through my heart.<br>_ *******  
>My eyes shot open as I sat up panting, I could feel the fine layer of sweat on my skin causing my linen shirt to cling to me. I was still in my tent, the soft glow of sunrise shining through the thin material and the morning song sung by skylarks could be heard nearby.<br>Tears stung my eyes as they began to cascade down my cheeks, the air suddenly too hard to breathe in and the surroundings of my tent claustrophobic. Pulling the blanket around my shoulders, I practically ran out the tent and took a couple of deep breaths to steady my quickened breathing and also prevent the sob that threatened to tear from my throat.  
>Then it dawned on me they were actually gone.<br>There would no longer be Oriana's conversations of fashion or the sound of my brother's laugh after he made a particularly bad joke. I would never get to teach Oren how to use a sword as I had promised or ever hear my mother's constant nagging of finding a suitable husband. But the thing I would miss most was my father; the way he had always believed I could do anything, when he decided to bless me with his words of wisdom whenever I was troubled, the way his blue eyes that were identical with mine would sparkle with mischief and love as he teased mother, and finally the comfort I would feel as he called me "Pup".  
>It was at this moment I realized I truly was alone.<br>I sat on the trunk where I had done the previous night, the fire had burnt out long ago and the chill of the morning breeze settled on my damp skin.  
>Sighing I ran my fingers through my slept on hair trying to give the auburn curls some order, before placing my head in my hands in defeat.<br>I needed to stop these depressing thoughts that ran wild in my mind, I needed to focus, the Blight was the main priority and once it was over, I would take the opportunity to extract my revenge; slowly and painfully I would make that bastard Howe pay and once I did, then would I reclaim the Cousland honour alongside Highever before I could fully grieve.  
>"Well someone's up rather early," I jumped at the sudden intrusion of my thoughts and glanced to see Alistair retreating from his tent, lazily rubbing his eyes as he let out a yawn.<br>"I couldn't sleep," I replied simply which was accompanied with a slight shrug, as he sat down beside me.  
>"Well sleeping outdoors is something to get used to," he brushed a hand through his short cropped sandy hair, then across the fine stubble that dusted his jaw.<br>"I'm not bothered whether we're sleeping outdoors, more the dreams that plague my mind during the night."  
>Alistair turned to face me.<br>"Do you want to talk about it?"  
>I hesitated for the moment and doubted whether to lay my burdens upon him, to share the story of how my entire house fell to the hands of someone my father thought he could trust.<br>"No," I said after sometime. For now it was best to keep my identity a secret, Howe would soon learn that my body wasn't amongst the rest of my family and would send a search party sooner or later; but I couldn't die yet, not without telling Fergus about what had happened. Also if others discovered that I was the daughter of a Teryn, it would just complicate things. "Thank you anyway Alistair."  
>Alistair stared at my face with concern for a moment, before nodding in acceptance but still not looking entirely too pleased with my answer.<br>Soon after, one by one our companions awoke. After having a small breakfast that consisted of mainly just bread, we packed up our gear before setting off to find the Grey Warden documents.  
>As we trudged on towards our goal, my limbs were still so heavy that I felt I would fall asleep any moment; something told me that today was going to go painfully slow.<p> 


	6. Alluringly Strange

**A/N: Once more I cannot express how sorry I am for not updating sooner, but least this time it was like two months XD I've been so busy with this dreaded thing called AS art, which is such a pain in the arse but my deadline is Wednesday and that means MORE FANFIC, YES! I wanted to thank everyone for the follows and favorites as well as the kind reviews, they always keep me going and remind me I actually do have people out there who are patiently waiting for an update. But I wanted to give a HUGE thank you to SnowHelm for always reviewing you are totally awesome m'dear so cookies for you :) Anyway I'll shut and get on with it. Please don't forget to review :)  
><strong>

**Ren **

**CHAPTER SIX: ALLURINGLY STRANGE**

~~~~*₰Cailan₰*~~~~

As I opened my eyes, I immediately wished I hadn't as the sunlight poured from a small crack from the flap of my tent, the brightness causing my eyes to sting. My head felt heavy as the pounding reminded me of someone clobbering it against a shield; perhaps drinking till dusk with the wardens wasn't such a great idea, but it had at least calmed my nerves about Elissa travelling in those blasted wilds.

Pushing on my elbows, I tried to sit up but as soon as I tried I found my head hitting the pillow once more with a groan vibrating in my throat. I felt exhausted and lying here on my makeshift cot, with my blanket wrapped round me was warm and comforting.  
>Loghain could cope without me for a couple of hours and with that thought, I let my eye lids drift close and my mind wonder.<p>

_Anora was getting on my last nerve; she simply wouldn't stop staring at me from the far side of the great hall. Dairren had heard a rumour from one of the maids that Loghain's daughter was sporting quite the crush on me, the idea was so terrifying that I had brushed the notion away. But here we were now, in the middle of a large banquet for nobles and her eyes were constantly burning holes into my back as I circled my way round the room to talk to different individuals.  
>"Your Highness, are you listening?" a young noble woman asked in concealed annoyance. Shaking the disturbing thoughts away, I focused my attention on the dark haired woman standing before me.<br>"I apologise Lady Howe, my attention was caught elsewhere, please continue," I smiled as a touch of pink coloured Rendon Howe's only daughter's cheeks._

"_I...I was saying that perhaps that you and your father should one day stay in Amaranthine. The spring festival is approaching and it truly is the most fabulous affair," Delilah Howe said, a small smile playing on her painted lips as she batted her eye lashes.  
>I felt the sudden urge to roll my eyes but I resisted, this had become a common occurrence since I had reached my fifteenth name day. Daughters of nobles showered me with compliments as they threw numerous invitations to their homes to my feet; it was obvious what their intentions were and it made my reluctance to marry even stronger, well no one except a certain tomboy who preferred linen shirts to silk dresses.<br>My eyes scanned the room once more until I caught sight of Fergus near the rear entrance, catching my eye he beckoned me over.  
>"That sounds lovely my lady, however I really must apologise once more as it seems that Lord Fergus requires my assistance; perhaps we could continue this conversation some other time?" Smiling my most charming smile, I saw the pink flush appear once more before she curtsied.<br>"Of course your Highness, I look forward to it," Delilah straightened and with a fleeting glance turned in the direction of Lord Vaughn, whose drunken and heated stares towards some of the elven servants had started to give me an unsettling feeling in the pit of my stomach.  
>"Well aren't you the popular one tonight?" Fergus grinned as I made my way towards him. Dark circles sagged under his lightly coloured eyes and his face looked ashen, most likely due to the wailing of his newborn son; however as tired as he looked, it made him appear older and wiser.<br>Leaning my back against the cool surface of the stone wall, I let out a heavy sigh.  
>"Well what can I say? I can't control the attraction of this magnificent body of mine,"I mocked as Fergus let out a low chuckle. <em>

_We had a moment at staring towards the gala of nobles, each wearing false grins as they spoke to each other and the sound of artificial laughter filled the room; I hated these events, they made me irritable and as equally uncomfortable, I couldn't wait to leave.  
>A firm hand clasped my silken covered shoulder, glancing up I saw Fergus staring at me with a sympathetic and serious expression. Even though we weren't related by blood, Fergus was in many ways like an older brother, he could easily understand what troubled me.<br>"Just wait a few more hours my friend, Liss will soon be off horse riding and then you can leave," the older man smiled slightly. Sighing once more I nodded and mirrored his gesture; I didn't think I could wait a couple of more hours and the idea of talking to more stuck up noble daughters made me weary and stressed, all I wanted to do was go to my room and stay in there until I felt ready to come out, my body ached and my eyes grew heavy as I stood doing this menial task as Prince of Ferelden. There was only one person that could make this whole affair seem worthwhile and she wasn't here.  
>"Where is Elissa?" I asked as Fergus rubbed the back of his neck before sighing heavily.<br>"Actually that's the reason why I beckoned you over. She's in the garden somewhere and refuses to join the party," he gave another heavy sigh and shook his head. "She's driving mother and Nan mad, Oriana's tried speaking to her but she rejects he."  
>"Why does she refuse?" I asked as my brows creased together. Fergus shrugged and ran a hand through his dark mane, which seemed to have grown to the same level as his chin.<br>"I don't know, she was acting odd this morning at breakfast."  
>"Have you tried speaking with her?"<br>Fergus nodded in reply.  
>"She just replies, 'She doesn't want to stay in a room with a bunch of stuffy prunes who believe they are better than the rest." Fergus let out a small laugh as he recalled the words she said; well it certainly sounded like something Elissa would say.<br>"I'll go see if I can talk to her," I sighed as I pinched the bridge of my nose, a gesture I'd picked up after spending too much time with the lady in question.  
>Stepping to the side so I could exit through the second entrance of the room, I was blocked by Fergus as he blocked my path.<br>"Cailan speak quickly with her, the banquets in your name after all and it would cause a riot with the guests."  
>Flashing a grin in his direction, once more I clasped his shoulder and squeezed.<br>"If this banquet is in my honour, then how can I enjoy it without the one person I want here, more than anyone else?"  
>Fergus smiled and the corners of his light coloured eyes creasing with kindness as he bowed his head in acceptance, before clearing the path so I may go find his little sister.<br>Elissa had been in a strange mood since I arrived in Highever two days ago; there wasn't the usual welcome of her running from the castle doors to my carriage, her face plastered with that mischievous smile that I knew all too well. We had not seen each other since I had walked through the open doors of Teryn Cousland's home, she would constantly spar in the courtyard with various different soldiers, sometimes I would watch after I had finished a lesson from my tutor, my eyes watched every graceful movement she created with her daggers as she danced with her opponents.  
>Doubt had clouded my mind and filled my senses; was she avoiding me and if so why?<br>I knew for a fact she wouldn't be sulking somewhere in the gardens, it was too open, too easy for someone to find her, no if she really was in the state of melancholy that Fergus had described she would be hiding in a specific place; luckily for me I knew exactly where that was.  
>Climbing two steps at a time, I made my way up towards the battlements of the highest tower of Castle Cousland, once up there you could see the picturesque scene of Highever as well as mass army of trees that created the wilds.<br>Just as I had suspected, Elissa sat on the edge of the battlement, her feet dangling over the stone. Her auburn hair blew in the gentle spring's breeze as the colour matched the sky with its dying sunlight. Her chin rested in her hands as her elbows were propped upon her knees; it was in that moment that she was no longer the four year old girl I had first met, but a young woman.  
>"Shouldn't you be downstairs?" She asked so suddenly, the sound of her sweet voice made me flinch slightly.<br>"I needed to come out for some air," I lied as I slowly approached her, when she didn't turn to acknowledge me, I lowered myself to sit beside her. "Besides I should be asking you the same question, why aren't you down there?" Elissa simply shrugged before tilting her head ever so slightly towards the sky, as if to admire how the orange clouds blended with the crimson background.  
>"I find the whole affair rather claustrophobic," she paused. "They'll all be looking for you, you know."<br>Looking out into the horizon, I leant back onto my elbows whilst my ankles dangled over the edge.  
>"Let them look I've been down there for hours, I think I deserve a breath of fresh air," I replied causing Elissa to snort.<br>"I don't think the nobles are that understanding Cailan."  
>We fell into an uncomfortable silence, every now and then I would glance at her profile which was completely tranquil of any emotion. She was keeping something from me and I didn't like it when people kept me in the dark, especially when it came to Elissa.<br>"I haven't seen you since I'd arrived," I stated in a matter-of-fact tone and out of the corner of my eye I saw her shift slightly.  
>"I've been busy."<br>"Doing what?"  
>"Does it matter?" he turned to face me, anger clearly written in her expression. "Tell me, why did you come up here? I'm sure your guests are waiting for your presence and you don't want to keep them waiting," she spat, acid dripping from her words.<br>Elissa stood and hastily made her way towards the door, standing up I did the same and followed; her unreasonable mood was starting to annoy me.  
>"What in Makers name is your problem? Have I done something to offend you? Elissa both your family and friends are all waiting worriedly downstairs for you," I shot back.<br>She whirled round to face me, her blue ice blazing with fire.  
>"Why does everyone keep saying that? I've told all of you I'm fine!"<br>"Then why act so miserable then?" I could feel my face take a stern expression, one that I had never took when with Elissa, as well as hear my voice rise in frustration.  
>"I'm not! I just..." she broke in mid-sentence and turned her face to look away from me.<br>The silence broke out once more as I once more stared at her profile as she averted her eyes away from mine. Something was bugging her and the fact she couldn't, no _wouldn't _tell me created a pain in my chest.  
>"You just what Liss?" I asked gently as I took a wary step towards her. She hesitated for a moment before her eyes met mine and I felt myself fall into their crystal depths.<br>"I'm not cut out to be a noble Cailan," she murmured. "I know why there's a party, it's easy to guess the reason and to be quite honest I find it barbaric in a way." Elissa leant back against the stone wall near the battlement entrance, ivy and moss combined, crawled and covered the ancient stone. She didn't wear_ _a dress but instead she had donned her usual attire of Fergus' linen shirt and a pair of dark breeches, while her hair was slightly tangled and was hanging loose, glorious tumbles of auburn cascading down her back; a rare but wonderful sight.  
>"What are you talking about?" I asked in exasperation.<br>She let out a frustrated sigh as she pinched the bridge of her nose with her thumb and forefinger.  
>"Cailan it's a ball to find your potential wife. Haven't you ever stopped and wondered why there's hardly any men down there?" she replied quite plainly.<br>I felt my mouth drop and my eyebrows draw together. An engagement party? I thought that it was a simple banquet for all the nobles to meet one another, similar to a landsmeet. However thinking back to all the previous conversations I'd had in the hall, nearly all of them were with women; there really wasn't any men downstairs who were of my age. The sudden revelation made sense of the unusual behavior of Anora and all of the sudden attention; the crush she held wasn't for me but the future crown that would lay upon my head.  
>"But why..."<br>"Cailan think about it you've turned fifteen, you're at the appropriate age to marry and also the only child of Theirin blood, so of course they're going to want you to shack up with some woman as soon as possible," she ranted as her hands balled into tight fists.  
>It surprised me at how infuriated Elissa was about all of this, it hadn't anything to do with her but yet here she stood, away from everyone and refusing to join the festivities. It didn't make sense; unless...<br>"Elissa, you're not jealous are you?" I asked as I lifted a brow in question. Her eyes went wide for a moment as an adorable wash of pink graced her cheeks.  
>"D...Don't be ridiculous!" she stuttered in protest as she turned away. I tried to hold back a smile at her answer; I'd felt pretty miserable these last couple of days after she had refused to see me with an unexplainable mood and now it was high time I should return the favour.<br>"Well I guess it can't be helped," I sighed dramatically. "If they want me to find a wife, a wife I shall find. Anora seems to have blossomed over this last year."I lied; Anora hadn't blossomed but instead to me rather looked as if she'd decayed based on her appalling personality. I almost laughed when I saw Elissa's mouth drop and stared at me with astonishment.  
>"What?"she almost exclaimed as I turned so my back was facing her, so I may look into the sunset with a smile becoming apparent on my face; I couldn't keep a straight face if I looked at her.<br>"It's true she has turned into a fine woman and with her father being Loghain, she would make a splendid Queen."  
>"You're serious?"<br>Slowly I turned to face her; her eyes were wide and her arms straight by her sides. I couldn't keep the facade any longer and fell into a fit of laughter.  
>"Cailan that wasn't funny!" She cried as she closed the distance between us, her small clenched fists pounding against my chest. "You almost gave me a heart attack! How could you even consider marrying that bitch?" The use of her profanity made the whole thing even more amusing and tears started to pool in my eyes. The blows I received became more forceful and I could feel the skin to begin to bruise; Elissa was stronger than she looked. My hands encircled each of her wrists and I drew her towards me, her head rested on my chest with her breathing coming out in soft pants. Once my laughter had receded, I leant down so my mouth as level with her ear and chuckled.<br>"Really Elissa, you really think I would marry a heartless shrew like Anora? You really don't know me," I mocked. "Besides I have already stated I have no intention of marrying yet."  
>I felt a slight shift on my chest as Elissa buried her face into the crook of my neck, instinctively my arms wrapped around her waist and drew her closer towards me as I shrouded my face in the fall of her hair. She smelt of Rosewater, lavender and something which was distinctly Elissa.<br>We stood there a while with our arms wrapped round each other and watched as the sun slowly disappeared behind the army of trees in the horizon, the sky darkened quickly and the stars started to shine brightly, like glistening diamonds.  
>"Cailan," Elissa whispered after a while. "Can you promise me something?"<br>"Anything."  
>"Promise me that you'll marry anyone but Anora," she paused and I felt my back stiffen. "I know it sounds selfish, but she wouldn't make you happy Cailan and you deserve so much happiness."<br>Pulling back I stared into her beautiful face, which was composed into a mask sincerity and seriousness.  
>"Elissa," I murmured as I cradled her face between my hands, my thumb stroking the smooth pale skin of her cheek. "I have no desire whats so ever to marry Anora, not now and not ever."<em>

_The smile she gave me in response was simply breath taking and I couldn't help but smile in response too. Her shoulders lifted in a shudder and I noticed that she only had one thin layer on, not enough to keep her from the cooling twilight's air.  
>"Enough of this serious talk, perhaps we should go downstairs and join our estranged guests?"<br>In response Elissa nodded before grabbing hold of my hand and led me to the door.  
>"We don't want your adoring public waiting now, do we?" she smirked which caused us both to laugh, the sound echoing throughout the night.<br>Everything for that moment was perfect, we both were happy and as we headed down those stairs we faced what awaited us, together._

My eyes shot wide open to see the miserable face of Loghain looming over me. I glanced over his shoulder to the wide open tent flap and to my surprise to see the sun had set which meant I'd slept through the whole day.  
>"Glad you're finally into the land of the living Cailan," even though the words sounded as if a joke, his annoyed tone shattered the illusion.<br>I opened my mouth to speak but Loghain straightened and turned swiftly on his heel.  
>"Get ready, you have a meeting with group leaders in an hour," was all he said and with that disappeared as I stared after him with my mouth wide open.<br>It would seem I truly would never get any peace for myself.

~~~~*₰Elissa₰*~~~~

The documents weren't here, we'd traveled three days in search of the old Warden base only to find the once magnificent fortress in decay and ruin; the cache that once held the documents was destroyed and empty.  
>"You mean to tell me that's it? Waste of bloody time!" Daveth complained not for the first time today, his whining was grating on my nerves, the feeling seemed mutual as everyone turned to glare at him.<br>"Daveth, would you all do us a favour and shut the hell up," Rose spat as she pulled at her long braid, which was now assorted with various twigs and leaves, as well as matted with the purple slime that could only be darkspawn blood. Daveth retorted and in a blink of an eye, Ser Jory joined in with the verbal abuse while Alistair stood flustered as he unsuccessfully tried to calm our three companions. Sighing heavily, I pinched the bridge of my nose with my thumb and forefinger; I was surrounded by bloody idiots.  
>Suddenly a sound of a twig breaking caught my attention, my eyes scanned the area for any sign of life; the air had also changed, as well as the atmosphere and my senses were on high alert.<br>"Guys shut up," I whispered urgently but the trio still argued. "All of you shut up!" I demanded slightly louder, causing them to fall silent and avert their attention towards me. "Alistair can you sense any darkspawn?"  
>Alistair glanced over towards me with appreciation as I disrupted the feud before his face marred with confusion, but did what I asked and closed his eyes in concentration for a moment.<br>"There's a group of straddlers about thirty minutes away north, but they're not something really to worry about, why what's wrong?"  
>Rose, Daveth and Jory fell silent and stared with a mixture of patience and concern, all acting on their best behavior.<br>I could feel eyes watching our every word, ears listening to the smallest detail in our conversation and making every hair on the back of my neck stand up; one thing was for certain, and that was someone was here with us.  
>"Stay on your guard, but do not draw your weapons yet. It seems we're not alone," I whispered in an urgent tone as my eyes scanned the area, my stare penetrating the shadows for any sign of movement. Rose opened her mouth, probably to ask what in Makers name I was on about, when a strong yet sensual voice cut through the air.<br>"Well well, what do we have here?" A young woman whose raven hair shone in the dim sunlight, bringing out the blue highlights in the tendrils that framed her heart-shaped face, descended an old desecrated ramp, her hand trailing alongside the ridge of the wall beside her. She was young as well as exotically beautiful; she was also _very _half naked, with a purple cloth covering just enough skin. Out the corner of my eye I could see both Ser Jory and Alistair looking everywhere but the woman approaching with suspiciously flushed cheeks, while Daveth openly gawped with lustful eyes and the corner of his mouth tipped into a suggestive smile. Rose gave me a knowing look and we rolled our eyes. Men were so predictable.  
>"Are you a vulture, I wonder? A scavenger poking admist a corpse whose bones were long since cleaned? Or an intruder, come into these darkspawn infested wilds of mine in search of easy prey?" she asked alluringly as she approached with swaying hips. Her amber eyes narrowed and glinted with a dangerous spark. "What so you hmm? Scavenger or intruder?" She was a mage obviously; the staff strapped upon her back making it an obvious give away but someone within a meters radius could feel the magic roll off her in waves in deadly energy.<br>Straightening my back and squaring my shoulders I presented myself; I wasn't frightened but a mixture of curiosity and wariness, as we didn't know whether she was part of the wilder folk or a demon come to ensnare us in order to trap our souls, steal our bodies and forever walk the earth.  
>"I am a neither, this tower belongs to the Grey Wardens along with everything it possesses," I responded all the while not breaking the eye contact we held.<br>"Tis a tower no more, the wilds have claimed this desiccated corpse as well as what was left," the woman began to circle our small band, causing everyone to draw closer to each other. "I have watched your progress for some time. 'Where do they go?' I wondered, 'Why are they here?' and now you disturb ashes that no one has touched for so long, why is that?"  
>"We are looking for some property belonging to the Wardens that were in this cache," I said as I waved a hand over to the mess that once could have been the mentioned cache.<br>"Ahh as mentioned before, the wilds have claimed as much and what you seek is here no longer."  
>"Here no longer?" Alistair almost exclaimed with disbelief and took a determined step forward. "You stole them didn't you? You're some sort of sneaky...witch thief!"<br>I cringed from the sudden outburst and how childish it sounded, there was moments where I found it hard to believe this was my senior warden and the man who was _supposed _to take lead. Raising an eyebrow, I turned to see he too seemed embarrassed while Rose physical slapped the palm of her hand to her face and shook her head whilst mumbling "Idiot".  
>"Ooh how very eloquent," the woman replied with an answer dripping with sarcasm.<br>"Those documents are Warden property and I suggest you return them," Alistair demanded.  
>"I will not for twas not I who removed them."<br>"If not you, who was it?"  
>The woman crossed her dainty arms over her near exposed chest and expected her nails of one hand.<br>"Twas my mother," she said.  
>"Your mother?" what would wilder folk want with Warden Documents? "Who are you exactly, I mean we don't know your name."<br>The woman's eyed narrowed in suspicion, her lips pinched in the corners.  
>"Tell me yours and I will tell you mine," she replied after some time.<br>"Careful," Alistair whispered with his mouth close to my ear. "She seems Chasind meaning others could be nearby."  
>"You fear barbarian's will swoop down upon you?" she responded by raising her arms above her head in a dramatic fashion.<br>"Yes, swooping is bad," Alistair sarcastically replied. Shaking my head at Alistair's suspicions as well as for my dismissal of them and extended my hand towards her.  
>"My name is Elissa and it's a pleasure to meet you."<br>The strange unorthodox woman merely stared at my hand with pinched eyebrows, for so long I felt slightly uncomfortable and retreated my hand.  
>"Well that is a proper civil greeting, even here in the wilds. You may call me Morrigan."<br>"Morrigan," I repeated, rolling her name off my tounge, "You say your mother has what we are looking for?"  
>"Yes."<br>"Can you take us to her?"  
>Morrigan's eyes widened and was silent for a few moments before a small smile seemed to surface.<br>"Now that is a good idea," she paused and laughed softly. "I like you."  
>I stared transfixed at the weird comment while Alistair openly groaned.<br>"You see that staff behind her?" he asked as he lowered his voice so only I could hear his gentle whisper.  
>"Yes," I replied, yet had already established earlier of her birthright, yet I let Alistair continue.<br>"She's a mage and most likely an apostate, I can feel the wild energy build within her."  
>I raised an eyebrow and turned my face slightly towards him; The term he used seemed foreign.<br>"What's an apostate?" The word seemed slightly familiar yet any previous knowledge I may of possessed had left my mind years ago.  
>"An apostate is a mage who doesn't live within the Circle of Magi, usually hiding in districts with few templars. They're constantly hunted so they can be placed in jurisdiction of the Chantry," he explained, all the while his eyes not leaving Morrigan's.<br>"So like a rogue; a mage bond to no rules?"  
>Alistair's eyes traveled till they gazed into mine, a half smile playing his lips.<br>"Something like that, yeah," he murmured in his deep honeyed voice causing the blood rush to the surface of my neck and eyes.  
>"If you may not of noticed but I am standing before you with keen ears," Morrigan announced with slight annoyance, her eyes narrowed at Alistair.<br>"You'll get used to it, this happens often with Alistair, blubbering about meaningless things," Rose intermitted with a blunt tone, causing both Jory and Daveth to snicker. Alistair's cheeks seemed to darken as he threw a glare over his shoulder to the elf behind him, who in returned smiled sweetly. Morrigan simply graced Rose with a mere glance before her unnatural eyes fell upon Alistair once more.  
>"You're not as dim-witted as I originally thought you were you were but really did it have to take you so long to figure it out?" She turned to face me with a penetrative gaze. "Does it frighten you that I stand here with power that could change the very heavens and destroy you?"<p>

It would have been a lie to say that I did not possess a shadow of fear that twisted my stomach in anxiety, yet here we stood before this powerful mage and not one of us have burnt or turned into ash; if she really meant to kill us, she would have attacked us the moment she caught sight of us, not create conversation.  
>"No, I'm not afraid," I replied firmly with confidence, hoping my sincerity came across to the wild witch.<br>"My attention was not to scare her but to warn her of your nature," Alistair defended as he drew closer towards me as we were now shoulder to shoulder.  
>"Oh?" Morrigan raised a perfectly arched dark brow, "And why is that?"<br>"Well you know how it is, first it's 'Ooh I like you' then Zap! Frog-time," I managed to stifle a laugh as Alistair tried to mock the alluring tone in which Morrigan's voice possessed, however the witch stood unimpressed and openly glaring at the man besides me before turning to me and asking, "Warden would you like to meet my mother?"  
>I composed myself and nodded in reply.<br>"If you please, we need those documents urgently."  
>Morrigan mimicked my action and nodded before swiftly turning and disappearing into the mass growth of the wilds, with us in tow. Alistair and Rose walked in step with me, both either side of my shoulders. Morrigan was quiet and whenever asked a question, she merely responded with a single word; it was both adding the mystery that surrounded the apostate witch but also grating on my patience.<br>"I hope Morrigan's mother has these sodding documents, this armour is starting to itch and not in the right places," Rose moaned as she fidgeted with her breastplate Duncan had given to her.  
>Alistair's head immediately snapped to attention and turned to the elf on my left, his expression marred in a grimace.<br>"Maker's Breath! Is everything you say have to be so vulgar?"  
>"Yes it does."<br>"Well one day your mouth's going to get you into a lot of trouble."  
>Rose averted a narrowed glare towards my superior warden, with icy malice.<br>"Oh yes and by saying, ah what was it? Sneaky witch thief won't? Please Alistair when you stop saying idiotic things, I'll try to stop being vulgar."  
>Alistair blushed and averted his eyes ahead of him, his fists clutched tightly.<br>"Well I had to say something and that was the first thing that came into my head, besides it broke the tension didn't it?"  
>Rose in response just simply snorted and smirked, probably due to both embarrassing Alistair and at his remark.<br>All the while through their exchange, a small smile graced my lips.

We trod through the marshy lands of the wilds, the cold dank waters splashing and coating our armour and the glinting eyes of animals that watched our every move within the darkness of the trees created an unnatural light. For what seemed like hours we trekked onwards and the exhaustion and hunger had began to kick in and by the looks in which my companions held, they too felt a similar feeling.  
>Then finally as the sun began to disappear behind the army of trees and as the twilight began to set in, a small hut with black smoke billowing from the chimney came into view. The sight caused relief to filter through my body and only grew stronger as Morrigan informed us that it was where she and her mother resided.<br>A small haggard woman stood on the threshold of the lodge, her clothes both torn and ragged as well as her hair show the colour of age; she was a complete comparison to her stunning daughter.  
>"Ah Morrigan, I see you brought guests!" the woman hailed with what seemed like elation, as we approached as Morrigan bowed her head in acknowledgement.<br>"Greetings mother I bring you four Grey Wardens and a elf who –"  
>"Yes I see them girl. Mmm, much as I expected," She interrupted, like her daughter she held a sense of mystery. I glanced over to Alistiar, who was watching me warily with the corners of his mouth turned down.<br>"Are we supposed to believe you were expecting us?" Alistair asked in incredulity. Rose had came to stand beside me, her hand brushing the hilt of the dagger I knew she kept hidden on her hip, she also felt the odd atmosphere surrounding the area.  
>"<strong>You <strong>are required to do nothing, least of all believe. Shut one's eyes tight or open one's arms wide... either way, one's a fool."  
>"She's a witch she is! We shouldn't be talking to her," Daveth whispered to Jory behind me, who really didn't do a good job of keeping quiet.<br>"Quiet Daveth! If she really is a witch do you want to make her mad?" Jory chastised the supposedly fearless rogue.  
>"Good advice lad I would take it, but sadly it is not in my power to will people for what they believe in," the woman's steely eyes caught mine and with slow yet determined steps moved towards me. "And what of you child? Do you possess a different viewpoint? Or do you believe in what the others do?"<br>For wilder folk the woman smelt clean, whether my expectations conceded from the tails my mother used to tell when she would chide me for returning to the castle covered in mud or based on the woman's contradictory appearance, I did not know. She was watching me, like Morrigan with an unusual glint in her eye which was entirely too uncomfortable, but like before I refused to break eye contact.  
>"I believe you have something we are in dire need of," I responded making my voice soft yet firm for I took Jory's earlier advice and didn't want to make her mad. The woman carried staring with her penetrative gaze before Morrigan stood beside her and interjected, "They did not come to hear your wild tales, Mother."<br>The woman registered her daughter's words and took a step backwards with a small half smile.  
>"True, you came for your seals yes? And before you start barking about your rules and oaths about your organisation, your precious seal wore of many a year ago and since then I have preserved them."<br>Alistair took a menacing step forward and I placed a hand upon his arm.  
>"You...oh you protected them?" he said as he truly digested the words, his tone turning from clipped to apologetic.<br>"And why not? Can't an old woman collect trinkets she finds useful?" she rustled through a sheepskin pouch that hung low at her waist and produced a bundle covered in linen, in which she handed to Alistair. "Take these to your Grey Wardens and inform them that this fret is greater than they realise," the woman added cryptically, the statement creating a anxious feeling in my veins.  
>"Thank you for everything, but know we have what we came for we don't want to intrude any further," I nodded my head in thanks, truly grateful yet something was telling me it was best moving back towards Ostagar.<br>"Such a shame, well thank you for coming," Morrigan replied with sarcasm earning a disappointed look from her mother.  
>"Morrigan these are your guests! Show some manners," she chastised her. The mother and daughter stared at each other in a battle of wills, for what reason I did not know. However it was other within a matter of seconds as Morrigan let out a heavy sigh of defeat.<br>"Oh very well, if you kindly follow me."  
>I smiled at the old woman once more, in which she returned. Daveth was practically running towards the opening of the wilds with Ser Jory close behind. Rose as usual found it all entirely amusing and was grinning. Alistair fell into step besides me and I tilted my head and smiled at him warily. We both mirrored each other, with pale faces that was marred with dark rings under our eyes as our bodies sluggishly trudged through the decay of trees and plants of the wilds.<br>I turned one final time towards the hut, expecting to see the figure of the haggard woman, with an insane smile playing her feature, however there was no one there.


	7. Relations

**A/N: Hello my fellow people! It's been a while hasn't it? It seems I'm always apologising for the lateness of my posting, but thank you all for being so patient :) I'n I've just finished my AS exams so I'm taking a breather and updating A Prince to Remember. This chapter was sort of hard to get my head around because I wanted to explore the characters mindset deeper and it's kinda draining, but I'm hoping I did it correctly and if any of you could tell me what you think, it would much appreciated :) Once again thank you to everyone for all the favorites and follows, as well as the reviews :) Also once again a huge shout out To SnowHelm whose always reviewing, much love! **

**CHAPTER SEVEN: RELATIONS **

**~~~~*₰Duncan₰*~~~~**

Three days, we only had three days until the battle that would decide the fate of Ferelden. The lanky messenger standing before me had received word from the scouting party east of Ostagar.  
>Loghain had paled considerably more than his usual pasty complexion; the realisation that the Blight was truly upon had just dawned in his mind.<br>Cailan sat behind a mountain of books with his chin resting on top of laced hands and his mouth set into a thin line and his expression grim.  
>"Is there any sign of the Archdemon?" I asked breaking the tense and silent atmosphere. The messenger's eyes flickered to mine as he shook his head, causing red bangs to fall into his eyes.<br>"No Commander, only a horde of darkspawn."  
>I nodded my head in response and said my thanks; with no sign of the dragon, the glimmer of hope that this was no true Blight gleamed in the distance, fuelling those like Loghain to be pigheaded, however even as comforting as the thought was as a Warden, one such as myself only knew that it was just hope and nothing else. Without the Archdemon in sight this was not the last battle, perhaps the horde wandering aimlessly? Or perhaps it was a symbol of what was yet to come.<br>"Then we must prepare immediately, the nobles must be called upon for a final preparation," Loghain said, his voice as ever holding that commanding tone while Cailan simply just nodded his head once in agreement. His constant vibrant eyes were now dull with a faraway look, with dark circles marring the pale skin below; he hadn't slept that was obvious, as he's been working due to the constant demand of his General. Their strategy was fool-proof yet when Cailan was finally allowed a few hours of much-needed sleep, the messenger arrives.  
>The King sent the messenger away with word to the nobles as well as a reluctant Loghain so he could gather his personal army, which left me and the boy King alone. As our accomplices left one by one, a silence fell upon us and I considered whether to leave too in order for the boy to get some rest. I opened my mouth to prepare to speak when a soft sigh shattered the silence.<br>"Have you received any word Duncan?" he asked with his voice heavy with exhaustion yet an underlay of what seemed as hope. Was this why he seemed so drained? Never mind that Loghain was working him to the bone but he was so concerned for Elissa's safety he's put her before his own needs?  
>"I'm afraid not you're Majesty, however judging by the date I'm almost certain that they should be returning as we speak," I lied as this wasn't entirely true. I had sensed the tell-tale tingle that could only be Alistair's taint about two miles from camp, a few hours before I was called to Cailan's tent; by now they would be near the camp entrance.<br>Cailan suddenly looked entirely younger as his lower lip stuck out slightly into a pout, the gesture making his appearance eerily like his brother and father, however the look diminished as his serious blue eyes met mine.  
>"What would you have me do Duncan? Everyone else seems to be giving me all sorts of instructions yet they all contradict each other," he sighed and looked away, his hand playing absently with an empty chalice perched upon his desk. "The Orlesians haven't arrived nor has my Uncle Eamon as well as half of the Couslands forces."<br>I turned to face the young king and placed a firm hand upon his shoulder.  
>"You need to rest Cailan," I said as gently as I could yet as equal in firmness, "If you don't mind me saying, but you look exhausted and you can't fight a battle when you can barely keep your eyes open."<br>Cailan was silent for a moment, his fingers slowly stroking the neck of the chalice before he sighed again.  
>"I suppose you're right, I'm no good for the soldiers if I'm not at my best, maybe a couple of hours rest will be satisfactory," he smiled softly before standing up. "You may leave Duncan, I'm sorry to hold you from your duties."<br>"Not at all your Majesty, I hope you get some decent rest," I said as I placed a hand other my left breast I bowed. Cailan nodded before I left and began unpiecing his armour. As I left the enclosed space of his Majesty's tent and into the cool twilight's air, a heavy feeling dropped to the pit of my stomach, causing me to pause in mid-stride; Alistair's taint was nearby and considering the time and strength of the pull, my recruits had finally returned.  
>I decided to head back to the Warden settlement, for they would probably head there first as they were probably exhausted and famished. My pace quickened as I walked and I could hear Eros barking excitedly as he too must have sensed his mistress's arrival also.<br>As I stood before the newly lit bonfire, my recruits and Rose approached, weary and pale as they sluggishly carried their weapons; Out of all of them, Alistair seemed to have the most energy possibly due to his Warden stamina and due to his experiences of expeditions over the last six months.  
>"I trust you came back successful?" I asked as they finally reached the settlement. One by one, they all collapsed onto the dusty ground with a groan besides the fire, finally after of what one could assume was hours of walking, they could all finally rest their aching limbs. Jory and Daveth seemed to succumb to exhaustion while Rose and Elissa sat besides Eros, the Mabari lapping up the attention after being left alone for so long.<br>Alistair rummaged through the satchel on his side to retrieve a wad of documents which could only be the treaties. The paper rustled as Alistair placed them into my waiting hand. I smiled as I took not of the red wax seal, etched with the warden emblem.  
>"Excellent and what of the blood?"<br>Elissa also rooted through her pack occasionally affectionately swatting Eros' nose away when he decided to do some investigating of his own, when the sound of clinking glass provided the air the sight of three bottles appeared.  
>"I believe this is the amount required?" Elissa asked as she scrunched her nose and scrutinised the three vials filled with the putrid black and purple fluid that could only be Darkspawn blood.<br>"Yes that's plenty," I responded as she handed the vials to me, in fact there was more than enough as we only needed a couple of drops.  
>A sense of relief washed through me; finally we had the treaties and the blood, all was acquired for the ritual and all had passed the initiation stage, now only leaving the last phase that would decide whether they could truly become a Grey Warden. Either of my recruits could die tonight, Maker they could <em>all <em>die and like so many other times the need to warn them of their possible impending doom was too much, but then it was the knowledge that I could create three wardens quenched the words of escape on my tongue. The order of the Grey Wardens was all about chance as well as being placed into the Maker hands where he would only decide our fate.  
>"There's also something else," Elissa's voice drew me out of my thoughts and drew me into the present. The girl was standing before me, looking expectantly at Alistair. I turned to him with a questioning look while raising a brow. The youngest Warden seemed to be in what could only described as a nervous state; he looked over at Elissa with an arched brow while crossing his hands behind his back then glancing towards my direction once more and refolded his arms over his chest.<br>"We came across two women who lived in the middle of the swamp," he began with a frown. "They had the documents and knew about the seal on the cache, I think they may have been apostates."  
>At first I was about to dismiss Alistair's concern, after all it was common knowledge that some apostates resided in the Kocari Wilds to conceal themselves from Templars, reason being a fate due to the wonders in the wilds would be a better end compared to that a Templar would inflict. Alistair had once been a Templar, so of course he may see these two women as a threat, however as his words processed through my mind I began to see the real worry. These two women had known about the seal and even after it had faded with time, they then took the treaties and protected them as well as <em>returned<em> them to us, when most people in the wilds would simply dispose of them when determined worthless. The question was why? For now we had more pressing matters, the joining must be prepared and then we would figure out this mystery. Waving a dismissive hand, casting his worries aside for the time being.  
>"Alistair you are no longer a Templar, therefore any worries about apostates should not be your concern. Did they seem a threat?" Alistair shook his head. "Well then I say ignore them, we have what we wanted and showing that they protected these documents mean they don't mean us any harm."<br>From the crease in his brow, I could tell Alistair wasn't please with the notion, after all the ways of Templars was drilled into his head since he was put into the Chantry at the tender age of eleven; they weren't rules that were easy to forget, especially when the role of a Templar was for life.  
>"What do you wish of us next?" Elissa asked, breaking the almost tense atmosphere. I turned towards her and smiled in both thanks and also at her readiness even though her small frame looked as if she would collapse in exhaustion at any moment.<br>"Nothing but rest, I must speak with the mages so we may begin the ritual," I replied causing sounds of agreements from Jory and Daveth.  
>"Ritual?" she inquired with an arched dark brow.<br>"The final test to become a Grey Warden is something called the Joining, it is what makes us a Grey Warden but is also our oldest way." She stared for a moment her turquoise eyes calculating my words, seeing if she could trust me.  
>"When will the Joining commence?" she asked after sometime, a hint of scrutiny in her voice.<br>"If all goes according to plan, tonight."  
>Elissa's eyes widened momentarily, for the first time since the massacre at Highever an emotion that only could be described as uncertainty possessed her features, making the young noble woman look somewhat vulnerable, however as quick as it came the hardened mask appeared once more, her features becoming determined and firm as she nodded once in reply.<br>"About bloody time if you ask me! We've been marching in those sodden wilds for Maker knows how long!" Daveth exclaimed from where he was sprawled out on the ground, before turning his head slightly to where Rose as kneeled besides Eros. "Mind you I wouldn't mind doing a little grafting if the company was right," he practically purred at the elf as well as throwing in a wink, causing Rose to snort and roll her eyes in response.  
>"I must warn you though," I began, the cryptic tone in my voice causing all eyes to focus on me. "Once we begin the ritual there is no turning back. If anyone has any doubts, they can leave now."<br>Silence pervaded the circle, no one spoke and glanced between themselves seeing which one would declare themselves and leave; but no one did. Daveth just smiled with the arrogance everyone had come to associate him with, Ser Jory's jaw was set with determination while Elissa's eyes were downcast to the ground and I could sense an aura of uneasiness surround her.  
>"Elissa," I murmured as I leant towards her slightly so that only she could hear my voice. "You can..."<br>"No." She interrupted with a firm voice. "I made a promise to my parents and by the Maker I intend to keep it." Her eyes shone with a blue fire and I could finally understand why the Cousland's were well known for their loyalty. "Besides I can think of worst things than becoming a Grey Warden," she added as a small smile graced her lips, which in return I could not help but mirror as I gave a nod of my head.  
>Giving a whistle, Elissa summoned Eros to follow to which he eagerly raced towards her with a happy bark. She bid everyone farewell before requesting Rose's company towards the creek where all the female soldiers bathed. As the young girl stood, Daveth made a comment about joining them, which as per usually received a not so friendly response which left him with a smug smile as the three figures left. Soon after, the archer turned to the snoring knight besides him and woke him with a shove, causing an undignified snort to escape Ser Jory's lips. The pair eventually rose from their place and rushed towards the area where the other Wardens dined, not that I could blame them when all they had to eat for the last couple of days was stale bread. Shaking my head I turned to Alistair and placed a my hand on his shoulder.<br>"Come, we must speak with the mages, we've been delayed for far too long."  
>With one nod Alistair fell into step besides me, his unsettled expression similarly matching how I felt. As we made our way towards the circle of Magi's camp, the heavy knot of guilt settled in the bottom of my stomach; Maker protect my three recruits.<p>

**~~~~*₰Elissa₰*~~~~**

I hastily threw my armour onto the grassy bank as well as my underclothes, however I left my smalls and breast-band intact. I felt sticky with grime and blood, my hair tangled and my skin physically ached for the need of cool water. Without a second thought, I drew in a deep breath and took a couple of steps backwards on the embankment before starting to run towards the edge, my arms bracing other my head as I plunged forward and breaking the cool surface of the water.  
>The water welcomed me, soothing the aching in my limbs and washing away the dirt from the small cuts I received from battle, causing me to wince slightly at the stinging sensation it was causing. Beneath my feet, I could feel the slippery texture of algae tickling my legs as I swam beneath the water's surface, but it didn't bother me as for the first time I finally felt at peace.<br>My chest began to feel tight, the restricted feeling of no oxygen closing my throat as I kicked against the creek floor and broke the water's surface once more into the open air and gasping deeply for breath. A crashing of water came from the bank where my armour lay unattended. Turning I saw Eros paddling towards me, his great pink tongue lolling to one side, Rose was by the water's edge removing pieces of her armour also. Laughing as he approached, I scratched the top of the Mabari's head, before counting down from the count of three and racing him back to the shore. Rose smiled as I emerged from the water, even though the day was warm even as it was twilight, the air whipped around my wet skin and caused goosebumps to appear. I grabbed my pack that rested against my breast plate and searched for a bar of soap and rag before sitting down in the shallowest part of the creek, where the water came to my waist.  
>"Are you nervous?" Rose asked as she sat down beside me as she unbraided her long golden hair. I looked up at her and paused my ministrations of rubbing the soap along my skin as well as avoiding the small cuts in my skin.<br>"About what?" I responded and winced as a trickle of soap made contact with open skin.  
>"The Joining," she replied her voice almost ominous. Damping the rag, I gently began to dab my wounds flinching slightly at the contact.<br>"Not really, it's all this secrecy that's making me nervous." Putting the rag down, I began to rub the soap into my tangled hair hoping that it would loosen the strands; however it was nested with more knots than I originally thought and seemed impossible to loosen without a comb. Rose must of seen my patience beginning to wear thin, as she scooted over so she was sitting behind me and pried the soap from my hands, her nimble fingers acting as a comb as she untangled each auburn strand free.  
>"Thank you," I murmured gratefully as I sat as still as I could. All of a sudden I felt as if I was a little girl again as Nan would wash my hair, every now and then tsking at all the knots and lecturing me for not taking care of my appearance.<br>"It's what I'm here for," she replied softly, however her response made me turn in my seat.  
>"Rose you're not a servant, you're not obliged to serve my every whim you know," I told her, horrified at the fact she thought I was her new mistress after being beaten by that pig of man. Rose's large emerald eyes narrowed as she studied my face, evaluating if what I said was true.<br>"You are a very strange human Elissa, anyone would jump at the very notion of having an elf for a servant," she accused as she still ran her fingers through my hair.  
>"Well not me." I stated then raised a brow in question. "Why do you feel obliged exactly?" In answer Rose merely shrugged as her fingertips pressed and massaged my scalp, causing me to repress a moan of pleasure.<br>"Duncan asked me to stay and look after you by staying by your side," she explained, her voice soothing and gentle. "Also you saved me and I find you fascinating for a human."  
>The idea of being 'fascinating' was both a little flattering and slightly uncomfortable, however I didn't comment. But then the question arose on why would Duncan assign her to watch other me? The notion that I needed someone to be a protector caused an ugly emotion to burn inside me, hadn't I already proven I could take care of myself?<br>"Rose can I ask you a question?" I asked softly changing the subject, later I would get to the bottom of it. She rubbed the soap against more of my strands, the floral sent wafting in the air as she hummed her approval. "What happened to your sister?"  
>Rose's hands froze in my hair as soon as the words left my mouth and I regretted asking, damn my curiosity! "You don't have to answer, It's just you mentioned her before and well... just ignore me." I babbled trying to excuse myself and also feeling guilty for asking when it was obviously something painful to talk about. Opening my mouth, I was about to say something else when her soft voice interrupted.<br>"She left about a year and a half ago," She began as she cupped water in her hand and brought it to my hair, the soap mingling with the creek. "We lived in the Alienage in Denerim with our father and two cousins. Our mother had died when we were a little more than babes, father always said she was a trouble maker," She gave out a small snort, the sound a mixture of humour and sadness. "Our mother was Dalish and used to tell us stories about her clan that lived in the wilds, who were free from the cruelty of humans. Over time my sister grew obsessed. One day when were working with a band of merchants that were travelling to Amaranthine, we got into an argument," she paused as she started to carefully braid my hair, after she was pleased to see no more soap lingering. "She'd discovered where the Dalish were staying. She had this plan to run away from the humans, from father and claim kinmanship and become part of the clan."  
>"And you didn't like the idea," I murmured as it wasn't a question but a statement. She looked down at me with a sad smile and shook her head.<br>"No, as much as I don't like most humans, I love the city; I love watching the way people interact, watching them do everyday chores like a ritual," she gave a gentle tug of my hair as she knotted the end of the braid. "But to answer your original question, my sister's joined the Dalish. Where they are, I don't know but last I heard the clan was spotted near Highever." Her hands came to rest on my shoulders and gave a gentle squeeze indicating my hair was done. Turning round, I faced her to see her eyes drawn to the water with a slight frown on her lips. Without thinking my arms wrapped round her small frame and brought her close, immediately her back stiffened at the contact.  
>"It's okay to miss her you know, to feel worried. She's you're family and it's only natural to have those feelings otherwise what's the point of living?" I whispered soothingly in her ear. It took a moment before I felt her body sag completely and her shoulders shake slightly and it wasn't long till I felt my eyes to begin burn and blur.<br>The feeling of knowing your family was somewhere out of your reach, not knowing how or where they were was like mental torture; something that recently I had come to learn all too well. Fergus was now the only family I had and he was out here either dead or alive, but the torture of not knowing was internally tearing me apart. Coming to terms with Fergus disappearance had only started a couple of weeks ago, whereas Rose had had that feeling for almost two years; I couldn't imagine the pain she was going through.  
>Eros trotted over and whimpered as he lowered his head and nudged Rose's hand. The elf glanced down and gave my Mabari a watery smile, whilst scratching the top of his head reassuring him all was well.<br>"Thank you Elissa," she whispered as she rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand. "That's the first time I've ever cried in front of anyone for a long while." Resting my hand on her shoulder I gave her a reassuring smile.  
>"Rose we're friends and as long as there's a war, we are also sisters in arms. If there's anything wrong or troubling you, please don't hesitate to speak to me if ever want to talk to someone." She nodded with her eyes still downcast before smiling. Returning the gesture, I took the soap from her hands and sat behind her. "Now how about I do your hair, as thanks for doing mine," I smiled.<br>As I set off to work by lathering her hair with soap, Rose suddenly gave an unladylike snort.  
>"Definitely strange for a human."<p> 


End file.
